The Tears of a Dragon: Book 2 The Dragons Child
by LSMcGill
Summary: Following Ranma's betrothal to Shampoo, Akane must go to China for her own betrothal to the Amazon, but danger lies in wait. Who is Xi'an Chi, and why does he threaten them all?
1. Disclaimer

_Disclaimer: Ranma __½__ characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. Sailor Moon characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC. Ah! My Goddess characters are the property of Fujishima Kosuke, Kodansha, TBS and KSS films; AnimEigo, Studio Proteus, and Dark Horse Comics. Other characters who may cameo are the property of their respective owners, as are all songs lyrics. All are used without permission. I did not write this for profit, but for practice, and as an homage to those whose work I have enjoyed so much I wanted to be part of their worlds. Will be removed at request of original creators or authorized rep._

_Zhu Shu (who shoo), Ying-Ying, Tao-Ching, Xi'an Chi (zy-an chee), and Clans' Dragon and Scorpion are mine, and may be used so long as I am asked beforehand. Legend asked me to say if you wish to use him in a story, you better ask HIM first.(Hey, manifestations of universal forces can make their own rules.) Chaos doesn't seem to care one way or the other, so long as there's lots of destruction and despair._

_And thanks to DB Sommer for allowing me to use Ai Konjou and the Furinkan Combat Cheerleaders. _

Moonlight Densetsu

_Gomen ne sunao ja nakute  
Yume no naka nara ieru  
Shikou kairo wa shotto sunzen  
Ima sugu aitai yo_

_Nakitaku naru you-na __**Moonlight**__  
Denwa mo dekinai __**Midnight**__  
Datte junjou dou shiyou  
Hatto wa mangekyou _

_Tsuki no hikari ni michibikare  
Nandomo meguri-au  
Seiza no matataki kazoe  
uranau koi no yukue  
Onaji kuni ni umareta no __**mirakuru romansu**_

_Mo ichido futari de __**Weekend**__  
Kami-sama kanaete __**Happy-end**__  
Genzai kako mirai mo  
Anata ni kubittake_

_Deatta toki no natsukashii  
Manazashi wasurenai  
Ikusenman no hoshi kara anata o mitsukerareru  
Guuzen mo chansu ni kaeru ikikata ga suki yo _

_Fushigi-na kiseki kurosu-shite  
Nandomo meguri-au  
Seiza no matataki kazoe uranau koi no yukue  
Onaji kuni ni umareta no __**mirakuru romansu**__  
Shinjite-iru no __**mirakuru romansu**_

_I'm sorry, but I cannot tell  
I can only tell you within a dream  
Before my nerves become shorted  
I wish to meet with you now_

_It seems to be crying, the moonlight  
Since I cannot telephone past midnight  
I do not know what to do with the love of you  
My heart is a kaleidascope _

_The moon's light will guide me  
So that I can once again meet you  
Choreography of the stars can predict  
All the love which has come and gone  
Together on the same earth, a miracle romance_

_With you, another weekend  
God, please grant me a happy end  
In the past, present and future  
I will be devoting all my thoughts to you_

_If disaster comes to us when we meet  
I will never forget us  
Millions of stars are looking at us  
Seeing us attempt to live together in love _

_Unintentionally, miraculously, we cross again  
So I meet with you again  
Choreography of the stars can predict  
all the love which has come and gone  
Together on the same earth, a miracle romance  
Something I do believe in - a miracle romance._


	2. Interlude: The Dance of Shadows

Interlude: The Dance of Shadows

Zhu Shu watched Shan Pu walk down the hall towards the stairs and sighed. That had been far harder than she had thought it would be. Shan Pu's eyes had barely left her the entire time she had helped her dress, and the unspoken desire had nearly been more than she could stand. Her heart had screamed at her to accept the invitations from Ranma and Shan Pu to join them as another wife, but she knew too well the disaster that awaited if she had. She was happy her friend was on her way to her engagement, she just wished…

She turned and looked at the formal Mandarin gown laid out on her bed. She really should put it on and go down to join the ceremony, but she just couldn't summon the will to. Her mind whirled with too many conflicting emotions: happiness, jealousy, relief, despair… ever since she had merged chi with Akane, she had felt like she was dancing along a razorblade. The chaotic whirlwind of Akane's passions had nearly shattered the iron control she had been forced to build following Ying-Ying's death, the sole defense she had against the overwhelming grief…

She sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the small framed picture Kasumi had given her of their kiss on the subway. Her first day with the Tendos had been so chaotic… and yet… Kasumi had made her feel so welcome, despite the way she had surprised her the night before. The eldest Tendo sister had forged a friendship with her that Zhu Shu cherished. As desirable as she found Kasumi, there was no feeling of tension between them. Kasumi knew Zhu Shu's preferences, knew Zhu Shu thought she was sexy, and simply accepted it, so it had become a non-issue. Kasumi had been there when she'd needed advice on how to deal with Akane, and had even actively helped.

But this? This was something Zhu Shu couldn't bring herself to lay at Kasumi's feet. How could she burden her with such chaos? No, it would not do to expose such a fountain of light to the darkness that had consumed her soul with Ying-Ying's death, or the delicate balance she had achieved to survive.

Until Akane…

She shut the thought out as she stood and went to her closet, choosing a few simple dresses. She had to go away… she needed time to think, to figure out which of the emotions rampaging in her head were really hers… to try and find some way to regain the emotional control the chi merger had nearly shattered.

After she had packed the dresses, she reached behind her back and drew her swords. She removed the ribbons, then picked up her pack and the small sword stand Rei had given her, heading down to the dojo, and the Tendo family shrine.

The peace that washed over her as she stood beneath it helped her calm her raging thoughts. She needed that calm… she needed a counter to the chaos her life had become.

As she set the swords down and draped her signet ring over them, she realized where she should go… where she could find enough peace to think.

She prayed to the Dragon to watch over the Tendos while she was away, and she felt the comforting sense of his presence… It gave her the strength to push her mental storm back and gain at least a little equilibrium.

Control. How had she lost control? She had only intended to prepare Ranma for Shan Pu, and to guide him to happiness with Akane. How had she allowed herself to become so entangled? In the momentary peace of the shrine, she had to admit that the chi merger had only intensified what had already been happening. She had been slowly losing her emotional armor before it had turned her soul into a battlefield.

She found herself looking at the small duck nameplate Akane had on her door. She'd been so engrossed in her musings, she had wandered back upstairs – more evidence of her loss of control – but she had her answer.

Akane… the unexpected fiancée… the wild card.

Akane, the girl who had found the chinks in the armor she'd built around her heart… the girl who had stolen away that heart… the girl who had nearly driven her to abandon her duty, her honor, to throw away the very things that had allowed her to go on living once Ying-Ying had died.

And yet… it was never to be. She was Ranma's fiancée, and soon to be Shan Pu's. She could never be hers, not in any honorable way. Not in any way that would not lead to a despair she would never wish to see on Akane's face. No… it was better to spare her that fate.

Back downstairs. She stood in the shadows to see Ranma accepting Shan Pu's betrothal, noting the jealous look on Akane's face. She sighed, hoping Akane would not cause Shan Pu too many problems for a few days. She just needed to regain her equilibrium before the wall fell and allowed the black flood of her grief to once more drown her in its cold embrace.

Outside. She walked down the street, not really going in any particular direction, just wandering, led by the swirls of her thoughts and the maelstrom of the emotions she'd inadvertently drawn from Akane.

Why had they merged chi? Other than the ceremonial joining with Shan Pu as her blood-sister, and the bonds she had with her swords, only Ying-Ying had merged with her. It had been so wondrous, so joyous a bonding between them, eagerly tying their lives together in their love and joy at sharing that love. Yet for all the ecstasy of shared sensations, they had not shared each others memories and emotions. What had made Akane so different?

She passed Ryouga, determinedly heading for the dojo. She figured he might find it next week, as he was heading in exactly the wrong direction. She smiled. She could sympathize with the lost boy – she had felt like she was lost all the time recently too, wandering aimlessly through a blizzard in the dark.

Why had Ranma had to go and ask her to marry him? Why hadn't he just left their friendship alone? She had never meant for him to learn of her love.

Her heart ached, and the loneliness threatened to overwhelm her.

Alone. She'd been alone for too many years… ever since Ying-Ying… until she came to Japan, where everyone cared for her.

The aloneness had been easier to bear when no-one cared, when no-one knew about her heartache and failure but her aunt and grandfather. The caring all her friends showed her had thrown the loneliness into sharp relief, and brought back the whispers of her grief. That it had not already poured from the cracks in her wall of control and drawn her back screaming into the abyss was a wonder she couldn't explain.

Footsteps… behind her. She stopped and turned.

A shadowy figure walked up the street towards her, her features lost in the twilight. The dying rays of the sun twinkled off the headpiece of her long golden staff, the ruby seeming to draw the light in and burn. Long silver hair swirled about her ankles along with the long white robe trimmed in red and black. Zhu Shu blinked. As she drew closer, that sense of familiarity grew stronger.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"A messenger, my Little Mouse with the eyes of a Dragon."

Recognition came. She had seen her nearly four years ago… after…

The memory swept across her, of the day she had succumbed to the blackness, had lost herself in the torrent and been dragged under. The wind had played through her hair as she stood on the cliff where they had so often come to get away from the village, where they had… The grief had been so overwhelming and it would never end… could never end. All she had wanted to do was see Ying-Ying again. She had stepped forward…

…And awoken in her bed to the kind face before her, all memory of how she had gotten there missing, lost in a golden fog. Only the echo of Ying-Ying's voice in her ears.

_((I am here. Always and forever, I am here.))_

That echo had allowed her to wall away the despair, to face the world once more and somehow make it through. There was nothing the world could throw at her worse than the loss of Ying-Ying.

But she had not done it on her own. When she had awoken, she had the Dragon tattoo on her back.

"I remember you." Zhu Shu said slowly. "You came the day…"

"The Dragon claimed you." the old woman finished. "Yes. That was the first of our meetings. There have been others, in dreams."

"Why are you here?"

"As I said, I am being a messenger."

"And what is the message?" Zhu Shu looked at her curiously. Was that a faint trace of green in her hair?

"The Wheel of Souls has spun out once more that which once was. Look to the past to find the answers of the future. Be strong Dragon's Child, for the future you choose may affect more than just yourself. The game has just begun. You may face many dangers and many foes, yet behind them all is the same enemy. Choose your destiny with care, Little Mouse." She turned to go.

"Wait!" Zhu Shu called. "Who are you?"

The old woman turned. "We will meet again soon enough. I must come to you twice more in the flesh ere my onus to you is done and you meet me, for _my_ first time anyway. I have not always looked as I do now." A sad sigh came from her lips. "I fear I must apologize for my actions when I first meet you. I… regret them very much. I hope you will remember that, after…" She turned and continued down the street.

Zhu Shu wanted to run after her, to ask her what her puzzling words meant, but she couldn't move her feet. Then, she was gone, lost in the shadows…

A wave of dizziness washed over her as she sat up, suddenly aware she was laying on a bus stop bench. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there. A golden haze once more lay over her memories of the last several hours. She had been walking in the early afternoon and now? A glance at a bank clock down the street showed it to be after midnight.

She shook her head. Such a strange dream.

She stood and looked around, realizing the street looked vaguely familiar, then turned around and realized why. Behind her, steps rose up to a hilltop covered in cherry trees around a shrine. She was where she had been heading: Hikawa Shrine.

Dismissing the disquieting vision, she climbed the steps to the first place in Japan she'd actually felt comfortable at and quietly opened the shrine doors. The main shrine was quiet, the still glowing embers of the fire dimly illuminating the room. Zhu Shu nodded to herself. Stepping within was an almost palpable relief as she felt the peace of the shrine envelope her and lessen the roar of her inner storm.

Stepping into the shrine's center, she mentally laid out a dragon mandala on the floor, fixing its boundaries in her mind's eye and ensuring there were no obstructions within its confines. Satisfied, she finally closed her eyes and saw only the mandala as she drew out her ribbons and began to dance.


	3. Chapter 1: A Fall of Cherry Blossoms

Chapter One: A Fall of Cherry Blossoms

Time is a tapestry.

If one could step back and somehow view the universe from outside, one could see that all of time exists simultaneously. The past, the future, the now, they all exist at the same time in the grand weave, but for those of us who are the warp and the woof of the tapestry, we can never see how our threads intertwine. Only in the world-computer, Yggdrasil, can this entire tapestry be viewed, and even then, only in part.

At present, the woman sitting at the screen was herself worthy of a second look. The leather harness she wore almost gave her the appearance of wings, the wide straps that curved around her shoulders supporting two trailing pieces that curved on the floor under her. The black halter top and bikini bottom under the leather emphasized the curves and sexuality of her feminine form, displaying her figure to excellent advantage. Her hair was raven black, with almost auburn highlights, the short cropped pixie cut of the front blending into a long thick ponytail that vanished into the seat behind her. The blue diamond shaped tattoos on her forehead and cheeks glinted softly as the light from the monitor played over her beautiful face.

Peorth studied the screen and cursed softly. Another damn bug! They seemed to be increasing in frequency since Urd had bludgeoned the system with that drunken wish. If only Kami-sama hadn't approved it personally!

And since Skuld had gone to Earth too, _she_ was stuck de-bugging. She sighed as she got up from the screen, her long black hair clinging to the seat back for a second before she went to the closet and dug out one of Skuld's hammers. She hefted it a few times, a small grin on her face as she mentally plastered Urd's face on a bug. Stress relief time!

As she vanished into the world-computer's depths, a monitor at her workstation flipped itself on and lines of code scrolled across. Within the main screen's image, a thread shifted imperceptibly.

A warning came up on the main screen and flashed, indicating a probability shift in the thread, a small change akin to the flap of a butterfly's wing.

The warning acknowledged itself and vanished, leaving behind the image of the tapestry and the faint echoes of an annoyed goddess whose bug hunting had been interrupted when her quarry ceased to exist. The side monitor blinked and turned itself off as Peorth stormed back to her workstation to try and figure out where the bug had gone, only to blink as the system reported none.

Annoyed, Peorth queried Ex, the operator currently on monitor duty. "What happened?"

The operator looked up from her console. "Mistress?"

"The bug, Cherie. What happened to the bug?"

The young grey haired female tapped a few keys and ran a system trace.

"It's gone, Mistress. It appears the bug activated a subroutine and was erased by it."

"Which one?"

The girl typed for several more minutes. "I am uncertain, Mistress. There are no records of the subroutine's actions in the log."

Curious. She had Ex transfer the data to her terminal and tried to trace the routine, but ran up against a code wall. It had been activated from a secured section of Yggdrasil she had never realized existed.

She tried every code she could think of to no avail. Yggdrasil itself denied the section even existed though with much trial and error, Peorth discovered much of Yggdrasil's automatic functions seemed to route through it. In fact, it seemed as if the entire reality maintenance subroutine was being monitored by the sealed sector transparently. If she hadn't investigated the subroutine, it would have been impossible to notice the anomaly.

Aggravated, she settled in to do some digging. It took several hours of eliminating dead ends and blind alleys before she finally located an access portal. Whoever had established the hidden program was good. It was at least as sophisticated as the string program, though its scope seemed limited solely to the Earth. So far, all she'd been able to determine other than its size was that it was several hundred years old.

As she locked onto the portal she felt a grim anticipation. A few keystrokes tied her to the gateway, and she sent a log-on command.

She blinked at the REQUEST DENIED. She typed in her override code again.

/REQUEST DENIED: Override code invalid. Goddess Peorth, you do not have clearance to access./

"What? Mon dieu! How did it know who I was?" she muttered to herself, then blinked as letters began typing themselves across the screen.

/I have access to the Yggdrasil database, Goddess Peorth. I verified your clearance. You do not possess sufficient clearance to access me./

"We'll see about that, Cherie." She typed in a secondary override and keyed up a code breaker.

/Please desist, Goddess Peorth. You do not possess the required clearance. Further attempts to access will force me to notify my creators of your efforts./

That caused her to give the screen a raised eyebrow. "I'm the Sysop. Any warnings you send would automatically be routed to me anyway, non?"

/Negative, Goddess Peorth. I am a secured autonomous system established to perform a set task. If I am interrupted or detect interference in my task, I may take such action as I deem needed. I do not at present deem you hostile to my mission, simply curious. I have means to alert my creator to your attempts to hack me, but doing so may result in disciplinary action to you. As you are attempting to isolate what may be a problem within your jurisdiction, I do not feel you deserve this. I am not a problem, Goddess Peorth. I am part of the system./

"And I'm just supposed to accept your word, mon cherie? For all I know, you may be a virus or a hack program yourself."

/Negative. I am Yggdrasil subroutine : Project Phoenixmoon./

Peorth blinked. She keyed in the subroutine number on her side display and called it up. It was no surprise when it came up classified. She queried a list of authorized users.

She drew in a breath in shock and turned to look at the main screen.

/Please desist in your efforts, Goddess Peorth./

She nodded and the login screen closed itself. She sat back and mused at the strangeness of an intelligent program that the Sysop wasn't supposed to know existed.

Still, far be it from her to question Kami-sama. One just did not ask the All-Father why he had a covert program on the world-computer.

But why was Legend listed as the other authorized user? What reason would Kami-sama have to allow the Dragon access to Project Phoenixmoon, whatever that was?

0 0 0 0 0

Silent footsteps moving through intricate patterns. Long ribbons curving through the air in swift motions. One form following another in endless array. Wall of shadows, dance of flame, veil of ice.

Zhu Shu had been doing her forms for hours, lost in the dance as her mind whirled its own dizzying patterns. The physical exercises, ingrained so deeply they were reflexive, had helped her to tune out the outside world and focus inwards, trying to once more find her center amidst the raging emotions in her mind.

The peace of the shrine had been exactly what she needed to calm her raging heart and find her ground again, leaving her calm and detached, an observer able to consciously sort the storm tossed emotions that flowed through her, though staying centered had so far proven to be far more difficult than it had ever been in her life. The winds of her emotions had become as unpredictable as a cyclone.

She'd at last conquered the jealousy she'd felt at Shan Pu's betrothal, filtering her true feelings from the remnants of Akane's in her mind. Her refusal to Ranma's offer of marriage had been sound, however personally painful it may have been. He was better off with Shan Pu and Akane, women who felt the passion of his touch.

He deserved better than a woman who could only feel passion with another woman.

She loved him. For all her searching and separating her own feelings from those Akane had left in her head, she could not deny that. Akane's feelings had merely complimented what she had already felt. She loved him as deeply as she had ever loved anyone, but there was no passion for him in her. His touch sparked nothing sexual. She would have gladly given him her body, had he desired it, but it would have been empty… as meaningless an act as any she had been taught to perform as an Emperor's concubine.

And he would have felt that, and been hurt far worse than her refusal had done.

Yet everything she could not feel for Ranma, she did for Akane. She could scarcely contain herself in Akane's presence for desire of her. She had been so close to falling, to betraying everything she believed, her honor, her duty. For her love, Zhu Shu would have given up on everything she had lived for…

…Had it not meant betraying Ranma.

And even that had almost occurred. Had Akane not relented that day in the dojo, she would have fallen.

Too close. Her heart had come too close to betraying them all.

No, far better to seal her emotions back behind a wall of will, back to the way she had endured…

And yet, even now, she would not change what had been, or the wondrous things that had occurred, especially the miracle she had explored in her meditations…

Somewhere, on some level, she and Akane had never unmerged. There, in the back of her mind, was a connection, a bond. She could feel Akane through it, could feel her moods, and even a sense of some of her thoughts, but over everything else, she could feel her love.

Sisters… in so much more than blood.

Zhu Shu had worried her by leaving so abruptly, but she had come to understand why she had, and her concern had not lessened in the slightest. Like a mental caress, her subconscious whispered reassurances to Zhu Shu.

She had been grateful for those reassurances the first few hours of her dance, and her attempts to order her thoughts, for they had kept her from drowning in despair, and had helped to distinguish Akane's emotions from her own. It had enabled her to finally regain some of the calm which had eluded her of late.

Finally centered once more, and for the moment in control of her raging heart, Zhu Shu opened her chi paths again, feeling the warmth of the golden flow. She would forever share Akane's energy, as Akane shared hers, but like the link, she considered that a blessing. She might have lost her center for awhile from the shock, but she had gained so much more.

She had… a sister. Someone she could talk to, and share her heart with, and never fear she would drive her away. She would never be alone… not like she had been. She had been blood-sister to Shan Pu, but the bond to Akane was far deeper. It was more like the bond she had once had with Ying-Ying, though in some ways, it was far less intense. Her bond with Ying-Ying had been created voluntarily, and during several hours of lovemaking, so it had always carried an undercurrent of the passion and utter devotion she had shared with Ying-Ying, but they had never exchanged memories like she had with Akane.

She smiled as she recalled again how amazed they both had been when she and Ying-Ying had blended on that one wonderful day they had surrendered to each others gentle explorations, each striving to give themselves to the other as completely as they could. It had been so sudden, a rush that had chilled her and warmed her like she had never been before or since. It had been like she had suddenly stepped out of her body and partially into Ying-Ying's. She had been able to feel her own hand on Ying-Ying's skin from both her body and Ying-Ying's.

That sensation faded the further away they were from each other, but never fully. Ying-Ying had felt every blow her aunt had delivered to her upon the discovery of what Zhu Shu had done, and she had gone to tell Shi what his daughter was doing. Even when Ying-Ying's parents had moved to another village, that link had remained. She had felt Ying-Ying's despair, her hope crumbling, her growing despondency, and finally, her death. She had felt nothing then… until she had awoken in her bed looking up at the strange woman's face and her grandfather. There had been a significant look that had passed between the woman and Shi before she had left, never to return.

It was strange. For the first time since she had begun to build her wall against the grief she had been overwhelmed with following Ying-Ying's death, she had been able to think of their days together without the pounding surge of loss that had howled outside the wall for so long. She still felt the loss keenly, but the wild undercurrent that had sought to drag her to her doom for so long had lessened.

For the first time in four years, she could think of Ying-Ying without wanting to die.

She felt the tears falling as her body finally could continue no more, and she slowly collapsed into a heap on the floor of the shrine and cried silently.

She felt something soft brush her face and land in her hand. She opened her eyes to see a single cherry blossom, a drop of dew falling down its side like a teardrop.

_((A bloom cannot live away from the tree that nurtures it))_ a quiet voice spoke in her mind. She sat up and turned, but saw nothing. Only the fitful shadows of the temple fire. She turned forward again and stared at the flower as the single drop of dew was joined by another. It had sounded so much like _her_ voice.

"Of course it did, my love. It _is_ my voice."

Zhu Shu looked up and froze, her gaze lost in a pair of bottomless blue eyes surrounded by pink hair. "Ying-Ying…"

"Yes."

Zhu Shu shook her head. "I must be…"

"Dreaming? Most definitely. You haven't slept properly in over twenty-four hours and you wore yourself out physically. You fell asleep and I took advantage of your being in the shrine to enter your dreams."

"Oh…" Zhu Shu said in wonder, then jumped up to hold her. "Gods, Ying-Ying, I've missed you!"

The pink haired girl stroked her hair. "I know, love." She let Zhu Shu hold her for long moments. "I've missed you too, Little Mouse. And I'm worried for you."

Zhu Shu lifted tear streaked eyes to Ying-Ying's face. "Worried?"

"Yes." Ying-Ying stepped away from Zhu Shu so she could look at her, but kept her hands intertwined. "You have been so distressed lately. And I know that a part of you fears you have betrayed me as much as you fear you almost betrayed others."

Zhu Shu gave her a startled glance. "I– I…"

"Oh, Love. I know that _consciously_, you don't think about it that way, but I could always read your heart. I came to comfort you."

Zhu Shu turned away. "Beloved? I– I wish you could… but my heart feels so– so–"

"Divided?" Ying-Ying smiled. "I can tell." Her fingers reached out to touch Zhu Shu's back, Zhu Shu's clothes suddenly vanishing as Ying-Ying traced out the pattern of petals on her back. "Without you, I faded as a flower torn from a tree will. The Tiger will always be a part of you, yet ever apart as well. And there are two you have yet to meet."

Zhu Shu whirled, her eyes locked on Ying-Ying's smile. Her look was one of utterly stunned amazement. Ying-Ying leaned forward to peck her on the lips.

"You never realized? That I am the Flower and Akane is the Tiger?"

Zhu Shu shook her head.

"The Dragon gave you signs, Love. To show you your destiny."

"Am I destined to lose my loves then? Like you and Akane?"

"No. I was the Flower… Like any flower, I was not destined to remain. I grieve for the pain my loss caused you, yet we were not destined for more than our brief span. But the Flower turns into the seed, as I planted the seeds of the woman you have become in you. Akane is the Tiger and like the tiger, you needed the strength her love will give you, as she needed the control you gave her. Together you will both be more than either of you would have been apart."

"Yet we will never be more than we are?"

"Do not mourn for that, Beloved. There is happiness in store for you beyond all measure."

"How? I am destined to wed one whom I can never love and fulfill my family duties."

"No. You are destined to fulfill your family duties with one you will love."

Zhu Shu turned away again. "I wish that could be true. Yet I know this is a dream. How much of you is true, and how much is my own fantasies?"

Ying-Ying stepped forward, turning Zhu Shu to face her as she wrapped her arms around her and pressed her body against her. "All of it and none, my love. Yet I would give you a parting gift before you go back to the waking world."

"Yes?"

"I want you to have better memories of me than just our parting… Happier memories."

Zhu Shu melted with her kiss, losing herself for what seemed like an eternity as once again the feeling of existing entirely within Ying-Ying's love flooded through her and left her breathless. As Ying-Ying drew back, she sighed happily.

"I will always have happy memories of you, my love."

"I know. But for this instant, I don't want them tinged with sadness."

"I cannot promise that when I awake." Zhu Shu smiled. "But when I am with you, I can never be sad."

"But I am always here, love. I am always and forever, here with you."

"I don't understand."

"In time, perhaps you will." Ying-Ying looked over her shoulder towards the inner shrine door for a second. "For now, know that my love for you has never died." She reached out to caress Zhu Shu's face. "And you can never betray me. Your happiness is paramount. Your friends care for you, beloved. They can help you if you let them."

Zhu Shu pressed her face against Ying-Ying's hand, reveling in her touch. "I know they want to. I just don't know how they really can."

"Perhaps. Perhaps you simply haven't let yourself realize how they can. You cannot live without love, Little Mouse. Perhaps Akane is out of reach, but there are others closer to hand who care for you more than you realize."

Zhu Shu blinked at Ying-Ying. "Who?"

Ying-Ying smiled. "Open your eyes, my love. You might be amazed at what you'll see."

Zhu Shu shook her head, "I don't want to wake yet, beloved. I don't want to leave you."

"But you must, Little Mouse. It is not yet time for us to be rejoined."

Zhu Shu stepped forward, her lips locking against Ying-Ying's as they kissed. For another timeless moment, they stood embraced, their bodies pressed tightly against each other as they shared their love through their contact. Finally, Zhu Shu broke the kiss, and stood back, her eyes closed.

"I don't want to see you go, beloved. I want my last memory to be your face as we kissed."

Ying-Ying giggled. "Silly. You always _were_ a hopeless romantic, Beloved. It's one of the things I love about you so much."

"I love you too."

A hand reached out to caress Zhu Shu's face one last time. "Always and forever, Beloved. Always and forever, I am here."

Then with a last whisper, as of a fall of cherry blossoms, she was gone.

0 0 0 0 0

Zhu Shu gradually let her awareness return to the world around her, and as she expected, found another concerned aura near her, this one sweetly confused. She smiled softly at the memories of the dream, and Ying-Ying's words before opening her eyes to gaze into the violet eyes of Rei Hino, her student and Sailor Mars.

"Zhu Shu? How long have you been here? Why didn't you wake me?" Rei's voice was as concerned as her aura, her Shinto vocation as discerning as Zhu Shu's training.

Zhu Shu yawned and sat up. "I apologize if I have offended, Rei-chan, but there was no need to awaken you. I know my way around the shrine and what I needed most was solitude, yet I welcome you now." It would do no good to attempt to hide that she had fled the Tendo's… Rei would not be fooled.

"Oh, Zhu-chan, what happened? What's the matter? I've been so worried about you calling off training this week."

Zhu Shu moved to sit on a bench and sighed. "I have accomplished my task Rei-chan. Shan Pu is betrothed to Ranma. That which I have worked for is done, but its doing nearly unmade me."

"Sensei?" Rei's eyes were questioning.

Zhu Shu sighed. "Shan Pu was betrothed to Ranma yesterday. I– I just was not prepared for what my feelings proved to be. I needed to get away."

"Oh Sensei!" Rei came and sat beside her, putting her arm around Zhu Shu and hugging her. "I'm glad you came here as a haven."

"It has always been thus, from the first day that I awoke within its peace."

Rei finally did a double take. "Your accent?"

"I have changed in ways Rei. I bear within me pieces of another's heart, as she bears pieces of mine. It was unexpected, yet I count it a blessing. We will never be separate again." Zhu Shu smiled sadly. "Perhaps, it is fate's way of soothing the pain of the fact that we will never be together either."

Rei looked away, shadows in her eyes. "You mean Akane don't you?" A faint wistfulness was in her voice.

Zhu Shu nodded. "Yes. I am in love with all of them Rei-chan, if in different ways. Yet I cannot have any of them, for their sakes. But my heart aches with the desire for that which is forever out of reach."

"I know exactly how you feel." Rei whispered softly, forgetting how sharp Zhu Shu's ears were; nor did she see the long look that Zhu Shu gave her. Rei finally spoke louder. "You must love her a lot."

"Rei-chan, I love her to the point I nearly destroyed both of us. I would have forsaken everything for her sake, except loyalty. In the end, I could not betray a friend. I love her, Rei-chan, but I love Ranma too, so I held her away, for his sake and the love that he and Akane share, and that I hope they will come to share with my blood-sister. I held her away, and Ranma, and Shan Pu… Three times. Rei-chan, three loves, three offers of happiness I knew to be a lie. For their sakes, I had no choice."

"But why? If Akane and Ranma and Shan Pu all love you?" Rei was looking at her, puzzled.

"Because, I would have destroyed their happiness, Rei-chan. It is my curse to see too clearly." She sighed. "I know an old lady who calls me a 'Little Mouse with the eyes of a Dragon'. I think I finally understand what a curse that is."

"The eyes of a Dragon see only truth." Rei quoted. "How is that a curse?"

Zhu Shu looked down, her eyes lost in shadow. "I cannot veil my eyes to see only what I want to see. My heart cannot blind me to the consequences of my giving in to my desires."

Rei was quiet for a long moment. "As a Shinto priestess in training, I guess I can see where that makes sense… but as Rei Hino, I know what pain that must cause. It is not… _easy_… to examine your own heart and desires with clear sight." Her eyes fell on the altar "But as a miko, I'm supposed to see the truth too." Her voice held a tone of resignation.

It would be simpler, Zhu Shu knew, to let it pass, but she was too bruised and battered from the storm of emotions she had already endured and the dream. She had caused too much pain already. Whirlwind memories flitted through her head… Ying-Ying… Sarhia… Akane…

Duty told her what must be done, but that was the future. This was now. She had no more will for fighting the storm, and Ying-Ying's words echoed in her memory.

_((You cannot live without love…))_

She reached out to cup Rei's face and drew her eyes to meet her own… Rei flinched when she realized what Zhu Shu sought there and tried to look away again, but finally, reluctantly, she met Zhu Shu's eyes fully.

"What do _you_ desire, Rei?" Zhu Shu whispered.

0 0 0 0 0

Rei stared, caught in the gaze of the Dragon. She had asked herself that very question a thousand times, a hundred thousand. What _did_ she want? And still her heart had no answer. She had nearly caused Zhu Shu's death when she had mistaken her for a Cardian, yet had been forgiven so casually. She had envied her, for Zhu Shu was so much of what she longed to be: confident, graceful, poised, yet none of it was pretense. Rei had sneered along with the rest of the Senshi when Zhu Shu had claimed they had been lucky so far, yet she too had had bones broken for her arrogance. She had hated her for how easily she seemed to get respect despite her seeming contentment to play the role of a traditional female in every way but one, and she had been so jealous of the way males seemed to lock on to Zhu Shu whenever they had been together, almost completely ignoring _her…_

Then she had spent time with Zhu Shu, and had come to realize it was just Zhu Shu's way. She had no expectations of anyone, and desired none of the male attention she got, yet could not escape either. She cared for her friends unconditionally, regardless of who they were, and when she was teaching, she asked for no less than their best, because she would give no less herself…

…And when she had realized Zhu Shu's preferences, she had become more confused than ever. Rei had been her first friend among the Senshi, and she had always felt she was closer to her than the other Senshi were. She had tended to her following her near death at their hands; she had won her trust following that. She had cared about Zhu Shu from the start, but the day she had spied on her, things had changed.

Zhu Shu's quick kiss, following so close on the feelings Rei had felt when watching her practice had sparked a part of Rei she had never acknowledged, a part she had really never recognized was there, but that part had whispered to her what might have happened had Zhu Shu stayed at the shrine.

And that small voice had prompted her to spy on Zhu Shu's kata the following day, and to the love of friendship was added the element of desire.

In the weeks that followed she had wondered, and explored her feelings, yet she had no answers, only confusion. She liked men. She had once had a crush on Mamoru and half a dozen other guys… but she couldn't deny her attraction to Zhu Shu either.

"_The eyes of a dragon see only truth…_" Rei whispered, never realizing she was quoting in Chinese. "_The flames of a dragon burn away lies. The soul of a dragon knows only honor. The wings of a dragon can make the spirit fly. The tears of a dragon wash away sorrow. The heart of a dragon feels only love. The laugh of a dragon will always bring joy. The hand of a dragon is a shield from above.…_" Rei turned away from Zhu Shu, her eyes once more resting on the altar, her voice dropping even lower. "_Beware the love of a dragon, for only the worthy survive…_"

"_Yet one dragon loved shall never die…_" Zhu Shu finished as Rei's voice trailed off. "My mother would sing me to sleep with that song when nightmares woke me as a child… before she… before she and father died. It has never failed to comfort me with a sense of the Dragon's presence, even here so far from home. I have never heard it from anyone before. How come you to know it?"

Rei shook her head. "It's been stuck in my head ever since I took care of you after the fight… ever since I had a vision when I touched my symbol in your tattoo. Now whenever I see you I hear that song, and…" her voice trailed off for a long moment. "By my ancestors, Zhu Shu! I'm so confused!" She buried her face in her hands.

"Do you want me?" Zhu Shu asked quietly.

"I don't know," came Rei's strangled reply. She stood and started to walk forward. "Gods! I'm sorry Zhu Shu… You came here to get away from stuff like this."

"Wait," came Zhu Shu's soft reply. Rei stopped and turned. Zhu Shu stood and stepped up to the taller girl. "What did you see?" her eyes held a plea as she gazed into the priestess's violet eyes.

Rei closed her eyes. "I saw a girl with cherry blossoms in her pink hair… I saw Akane with a pair of tiger pommeled swords… I saw… a ring of fire surrounded by the symbols of the Senshi being swallowed in darkness… and I saw… The Dragon." Her voice hesitated. "There was more, I know, but I can't remember it." She opened her eyes to look at Zhu Shu sadly. "I don't know what any of it means." She turned and made as if to leave again.

"Rei?" Zhu Shu's voice again stopped her.

"Yes Zhu-chan?" Rei asked quietly.

"Why have you never told me?"

Rei knew instinctively that Zhu Shu wasn't referring to her vision. She laid a hand against a pillar and whispered, "Because I never had a chance. You love Akane and Ranma. Gods, Zhu Shu, how could I compete with that? Compared to Akane, I'm a graceless cow. She's learned everything you've taught her and I can't even finish my kata without messing up." She laid her head against the pillar. "And I can't even honestly make up my mind if I'm in love with you or not! How could I possibly ask you out on a date or anything? I can't even get up the courage to ask Yuuchiriou out! And he's a boy!"

"I see." Zhu Shu sat back down on the bench. "Rei… There is no shame in being confused. You are young yet. It is hard to know what your feelings are during this time of your life."

Rei sighed. "Don't you think I know that? I've told myself that a thousand times. Then I dream about you, or I watch you during classes and think about how you looked performing your kata that morning, and then I don't know how I feel any more. Other than how much of a fool I am."

Zhu Shu whispered something too faintly for Rei to hear, but suddenly, light was pouring over her shoulder. Unable to resist, she turned to look at the source of the glow.

A vision of herself stood before her, a mirror image, yet what it showed was far more than just a simple reflection. Her vision self stood naked, her slender form clothed only in wisps of flame. Wings of fire fluttered from her back, their slight motions leaving trailers of flame. A sense of presence emanated from the figure, seemingly vulnerable and untried, yet a strength stronger than steel hid within it. It reminded her of a flower, still in bud, but on the verge of blooming into something indescribably beautiful…

"You asked me once how I could tell who you were both in and out of costume." Zhu Shu said quietly. "I told you then that I could see your aura, but there is more to it than just colors, Rei-chan, at least for me. This is how I see you, how I see _everyone_. This is my curse, Rei, my dragon-sight. When someone lies to me, or is ill, I can see it in their aura, just as I can when someone tells the truth. Akane's gained a small part of this ability, to be able to see colors, but I see it all… Look at yourself, Rei. See yourself as I see you." Zhu Shu shook her head. "You are young, Rei, and unsure of yourself, that does not make you a fool."

Rei was still staring at the vision. "How can you bear it? How can you stand to see that way?"

Zhu Shu shrugged. "Like all things, you grow accustomed to it in time." She let the illusion go. "Rei… I knew from the beginning that you were curious, but I did not wish to play with your emotions. I am terrified I will hurt you, Rei. My duty is to produce an heir, I must eventually marry a man, no matter how I feel about them. I could not marry Ranma because I love him, and my lack of passion would only cause him pain. I could see that as clearly as I can see you." Her voice trailed off as she sighed. "Rei-chan. You are my friend… and I love you as such. I do not know if I am ready to be more, if I _can_ be more, and I do not know if I will end up hurting you because of my obligations, but if you wish to date me, I will not refuse you." She gave Rei a sadly gentle smile. "I have no right to make up your mind for you. I– I have done that too much of late."

Rei's gaze locked with hers for a long moment, searching. Finally she nodded. "So it is up to me." she laughed tiredly. "Now all I have to do is make up my mind what I want… and to figure out if I dare to love a dragon." She stepped away from the pillar and met Zhu Shu's golden gaze. "Well, at least you didn't laugh at me."

Zhu Shu blinked, then gave her a tired smile, her green eyes lighting. "Rei-chan, you should have known I would never have done that." She stepped forward to give her a hug. "I may be your sensei, but I am also, and always, your friend."

Rei smiled. "Hey, Mina-chan's latest Sailor-V movie is premiering today. You wanna go?"

Zhu Shu chuckled. "There. See? It wasn't so hard to ask me on a date."

Rei blinked. "Uh- well… yeah, I guess so." She blushed. "Um… I gotta clean up the shrine first before school–" She broke off as she turned to look at the shrine, now finally illuminated by the early morning light. "By my ancestors."

Zhu Shu joined her in staring. On the floor where Zhu Shu had been practicing, the wood had apparently reshaped itself. A pattern of small wooden tiles now adorned the floor, seemingly as old as the floor itself. Zhu Shu looked at Rei. "I didn't do it. I don't have that kind of ability."

Rei shook her head. "I'll just chalk it up as one more of the many mysteries that surround you. But we better both go and tell Grandfather. He's going to freak."

Zhu Shu nodded and followed Rei out of the shrine, as puzzled by the appearance of the Dragon mandala as Rei was.

0 0 0 0 0

Akane awoke from dreams of dragons and birds of fire with a sense that something she couldn't quite put a finger on had happened. The depression she had been sensing faintly from her connection with Zhu Shu had faded, replaced with a sense of acceptance and faint amusement. Wherever she was, she at least seemed to be doing better. Akane stretched, still feeling a little wrung out from the events of the day before. Between the wild mood caused by the lingering effects of Kodachi's drugged bouquet that had led to a couple of hours of sex play with Ranma in girl form, and the whirlwind of activity that had resulted in her and Ranma's betrothals to Shan Pu, she had been exhausted last night. She had spent the night dreaming a confused mélange of memories of teaching Ranma how to use her tongue and her own initial ravishment of the cute red-head. It had been so wonderful to have Ranma's body pressed against her, so warm and soft and well rounded. She could almost still feel…

She blinked, realizing she _could _feel a warm, soft presence curled against her back. She racked her brains trying to figure out if the one glass of sake she had drunk could have fogged out her memories, then rolled over to find herself face to face with Shan Pu, curled up on the bed against her. Purple hair curled around her face as sleepy eyes opened and she looked at Akane. "Ni hao, Ai Ren," she said softly, her little girl's voice sounding almost like a purr as she smiled sleepily.

Downstairs, Kasumi looked up at the scream, then heard the sound of Akane's door slamming as steps came storming down the stairs. Akane burst into the kitchen and stopped. "That… That… _AMAZON!_"

"Oh, my, Akane. What ever happened?"

"_Shan Pu!_ She snuck into my bedroom last night and crawled into bed with me!"

"Oh, my."

Shan Pu stuck her head in the kitchen. "Why is Ai Ren angry? Is what couples do."

Akane sputtered. "Shan Pu! We won't be engaged for a week!"

Shan Pu stepped into the kitchen, revealing she was completely naked. "Humph… Akane not seem have problem with other fiancé. Shan Pu hear what Akane and Ranma do yesterday. Why not do with Shan Pu?"

Akane blushed furiously. "I was still under the influence of some kind of drug! And I barely know you!"

Shan Pu stepped closer, swaying her hips seductively. "Is simple remedy."

Akane couldn't help but notice the lush swaying of Shan Pu's full breasts, nearly as large as Zhu Shu's, and the small tuft of violet that proved Shan Pu's hair color was natural. Her jaw hung slightly slack for a second as she blushed even brighter, then muttered "I'm going to the dojo!" as she turned and fled.

Shan Pu pouted and crossed her arms. "What do wrong?" she asked of no-one in particular.

"I think you just may have come on too strong, dear." Kasumi said helpfully. "Akane's the kind to resist if you come across as too forward."

Shan Pu put her hands on her hips. "Is Amazon way! Warriors are direct! Akane is fiancée like Ranma. Why she no want play with Shan Pu?"

Kasumi looked her over. "I don't know, dear. But maybe you should try being more subtle. Crawling into her bed naked may not be the best way. Lovely as you are, Akane's not used to admitting she's attracted to girls yet."

Shan Pu sat down at the table and sighed. "Great-grandmother tell Shan Pu should win Akane's heart first, or be much jealousy… Shan Pu thought be good fiancée. Shan Pu _want_ be good fiancée."

Kasumi looked at the miserable Chinese girl. She was completely sincere, and as far as Kasumi could tell, was telling the plain truth. And… she _was_ Zhu Shu's adopted sister, and sooner or later, Shan Pu would be hers as well. Plus, Zhu Shu trusted her enough to arrange for her to marry Ranma and Akane.

Besides, she hated to see anyone unhappy. "Maybe I can help…"

0 0 0 0 0

Akane was nearly three quarters done with a morning workout before she realized she was copying Zhu Shu's routine perfectly. She'd come into the dojo, stripped out of her house coat, picked a pair of Zhu Shu's beribboned wooden broadswords from the practice rack, stepped into the practice area naked, and begun the intricate steps of the Song school of sword dance. She missed a step when she realized what she was doing, but reflexes took over and she corrected. She was amazed at herself. The memories she had absorbed from Zhu Shu had gone deeper than she had realized. She hadn't even thought about doing the early morning exercises, they had just seemed the natural thing to do after waking. She lost herself in the dance as she pondered the matter of Shan Pu.

The traces of Zhu Shu's memories of her travels with the Amazon showed her how passionate Shan Pu could be. She had been a warm and cuddly sleeping partner, and had let Zhu Shu know she was more than willing for more intimate companionship, but had been accepting of the fact that Zhu Shu had felt it necessary to put off her original proposal of becoming her sister-wife. She had sparred with Zhu Shu and spent hours talking about how much she was looking forward to finding Ranma so they could be happy together. She had always been bright and cheery, and no matter how frustrated she had gotten at Ranma's eluding them, she had never had an unkind word for her blood-sister. She could change moods in a second, but there was no way to doubt that once she had given her heart, it was forever.

And Shan Pu certainly had had no reservations about showing her affection. Only Kasumi's hand on her shoulder had kept her from jumping up and booting the Amazon into orbit when she had locked lips with Ranma following the ceremony. At least the fact that the startled boy had tried to fight the relentless kiss had reassured her somewhat that Ranma was just as uncomfortable with Shan Pu. He'd failed to get out of the kiss though, and somewhere after minute five, Akane had decided she really was in need of that cup of sake.

Still, Shan Pu had _tried_ to be just as affectionate to her. Akane had just been better at avoiding the very cuddly Amazon. Then when they had found Zhu Shu had gone, it had put a damper on being _too_ celebratory. They had still had a nice night as Ranma had told his mother about some of his travels and the Amazon Loremaster had told tales. Even her very drunken father had listened raptly, while Shan Pu had tried to sit and hold onto Akane's arm. Akane resisted, but Shan Pu had given her a calculating look and watched her closely the rest of the night. Akane hadn't been able to avoid the impression of being a mouse sized up by a cat.

And this morning certainly showed Shan Pu wasn't going to be put off. She was going to have to decide how to deal with her sometime…

A polite cough drew her attention to the side of the dojo. Shan Pu stood next to the practice area, holding her bon buri, but otherwise still naked. Akane blushed slightly, but gazed back at the Chinese girl defiantly.

"Shan Pu only see Zhu Shu use techniques before. Shan Pu spar much with Zhu Shu. Will Akane spar?" Her kittenish voice almost dripped with eagerness.

Akane considered, unwilling to back down before the warrior girl. "Any other laws of the Amazons I should know about first?"

Shan Pu shook her head as she smiled. "Is already betrothed. No can challenge to marriage duel."

"I meant more along the line of death stuff."

Shan Pu laughed. "Akane is Ai Ren. No would kill Ai Ren. Just spar." She looked at Akane avidly, the desire to test herself against Akane's skill apparent in her eyes.

Akane shrugged. The damage had already been done. They were going to be betrothed in six days whatever she thought. And… she knew there was a question they _both_ needed answered. Maybe having this resolved would give her a clue to figuring out the Amazon. "Why not."

Shan Pu nodded and bowed before stepping onto the mat and assuming a stance. Akane took the chance to study her for a long moment. She really was beautiful, easily a match for Zhu Shu, but she had a hardness Zhu Shu lacked. Her muscles were more defined, and her moves spoke of a lot of power carefully controlled. Her large breasts swayed slightly with her breath, their nipples partially erect. Akane took in her stance, her eyes following up long legs to the tangle of violet curls, then up to meet Shan Pu's eyes. The small bell ornaments in Shan Pu's purple hair chimed softly in time with the ones in Akane's braid as their eyes held each other, searching. There was silence as for a long second neither girl moved, then they simultaneously attacked.

In a blur of motion, Akane intercepted Shan Pu's right bon buri as her other sword flickered towards Shan Pu's head. Shan Pu dodged behind her, her second bon buri flashing at Akane's legs, but Akane flipped over the swing and curled around the other weapon as Shan Pu tried to intercept her in mid-air. She flipped and landed out of Shan Pu's range as they guarded again.

Shan Pu licked her lips, her nipples hard as rocks. "You good." was her only comment.

Akane launched herself, her body spinning as her blade arched towards Shan Pu, then reversing her spin as the blade was intercepted. Shan Pu threw herself into an aerial cartwheel over the blade and launched an attack at Akane's extended arm. Akane's whirl carried her arm out of the way as both blades circled towards where Shan Pu's legs would land.

Shan Pu bounced into a high split over the swords and attempted a counterstrike at Akane's head. Akane blurred out of the way as the floorboards erupted from the air pressure of the missed blow. She continued her cart wheels as Shan Pu launched a rapid fire series of jabs, exploding the floor just behind her elusive opponent. As Akane did a high flip over Shan Pu, the Chinese girl took a deep breath and seemed to blur.

Akane dodged the first of the series of lightning fast blows as instincts took over and the world slowed to a crawl. She parried blow after blow, the air growing as thick as molasses as waves slowly rippled out from behind their furiously striking weapons. Then, as the waves met and merged in a dull rumble, a vast surge blew them apart.

Time resumed its normal flow as they both rolled in the air and the dull rumble became the roar of a sonic boom. The walls of the dojo ripped apart in the angry wind, swirling paper around the two girls as they landed with barely a thump. For a long second, only their hair moved in the swirling wind, then they blurred again.

Shan Pu managed to deflect the slashing blades, but realized her mistake as the long ribbons attached to the pommels wrapped around the hilts of her bon buri and with a wrench they were gone. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as they narrowly missed Ranma, who had frozen outside the dojo in shock.

Shan Pu flipped over Akane's head and back flipped out of the immediate reach of her swords to land in a crouch. "Hah! Shan Pu not need weapon!" She returned to the fray with a volley of kicks and punches that Akane was hard pressed to avoid, then her return attack with her ribbons was caught by Shan Pu, and her swords were wrenched out of her hands and hurled across the room. Akane bounced back out of Shan Pu's range and the two girls circled warily.

"You match Zhu Shu in blade." Shan Pu admitted. "But Song school have big weakness. No sword, no defense." She smiled as she attacked once more.

Akane smiled grimly as she blocked the first attack and reposted with a kick that Shan Pu had to leap to avoid. "Maybe, but I'm also a student of Anything Goes!"

In a blur of kicks and punches, block and counter block, they whirled around the dojo, the air once more turning to molasses.

0 0 0 0 0

Soun and Genma arrived at a dead run to find the two girls moving almost too fast to see through the shattered walls of the dojo. They joined Ranma in an open mouth gape at the display.

"Soun. When did you teach Akane that?" Genma whispered in awe.

"I didn't know I _had_." Soun whispered back.

All Ranma could see was that all traces of the awkward tomboy he'd fought on his first day at the Tendo's was gone. Akane's style had merged with Zhu Shu's grace and fluidness to give her a kinesthetic all her own. She moved with all the lethal elegance of a tigress, right down to the lashing tail of her braid. To him, she had never seemed more beautiful.

And Shan Pu… He'd never had a chance to appreciate how skilled she was. He'd taken advantage of her tiredness to get in a quick power shot that had knocked her off the challenge pole. Now, watching her fighting Akane, he realized he might have had an entirely different kind of match had she not just won several challenges in a row. He was confident that he still would have beaten her, but he would have been in bad shape afterwards. And seeing her in this light, he was struck by how beautiful she was as well…

Nodoka Saotome arrived on the scene finally, her kimono in disarray from a hurried dressing, and her sword half drawn. "What is going on? It sounded like a bomb went– Oh my…" Her voice trailed off in amazement as well.

A shimmering golden globe shattered a support and resolved itself into Akane. She spun in mid-air to land on her feet and launched herself straight up as Shan Pu's kick ploughed into the ground where she had landed. Shan Pu launched herself upwards after Akane, but was met in mid-leap and borne to the ground. They froze, Shan Pu on her back looking up at the hand Akane had poised to strike, her eyes locked on the long, glowing gold claws that had sprung from Akane's fingertips. Her eyes dropped down to meet Akane's, a fire burning in them like none Akane had ever seen.

"You conquer Shan Pu, Ai Ren" she almost purred as she relaxed from fighting tension. She stretched her arms languorously above her head and lifted her breasts into Akane's view. "She yours yet again. Is fight Shan Pu _should_ have had."

Akane's blush broke her hold on her ki, and the claws vanished. "What do you mean?"

Shan Pu reached out to stroke the small bells along Akane's dangling braid "Shan Pu no lose to fluke. Shan Pu conquered as Amazon should be." Her eyes met Akane's again, the need in them intense. She raised her hand to Akane's cheek and attempted to draw her down for a kiss, heedless of the others.

Feeling trapped by Shan Pu's obvious desire, and her own conflicting feelings about the Chinese girl, Akane did the only thing she could do… She ran.

Shan Pu cried out after her as she vanished, her hand held out in longing, then she collapsed sobbing, her fist denting a rock as she shattered it in frustration. "Shan Pu such fool! Fool! Fool! Fool!" she cried, the rock reducing towards rubble with each exclamation.

Nodoka was the first to recover, and she tried to go and comfort the sobbing Amazon, but the proud girl fled into the house as well. Nodoka wrung her hands and sighed, then turned to the other three. "Quite a pair of warriors."

Ranma, Genma and Soun nodded. Creaks and groans came from the dojo behind them.

"That my son bested the Amazon speaks volumes. That Akane matched her is impressive as well. Ah, Ranma. I think your life is going to be interesting. I am so proud!" She hugged him.

"Aw, mom." Ranma blushed

"Just stay in shape. I'm already worried enough about you surviving the wedding night, and I _do_ expect grandchildren." She turned and re-entered the house as behind the men, the dojo gave a loud groan and collapsed.

Kasumi peeked out of the door. "Oh, my. I suppose I had better call the girls and inform them lessons are canceled today." She started to turn then stopped. "Oh, yes. Breakfast is ready as well."

The dojo gave a last creak as Soun settled to his knees and cried.

0 0 0 0 0

"So, she plans to go out socializing with one of the Senshi." The figure in the mirror mused. Mara nodded.

"Yes. She will be alone with her."

"Which one?"

"Mars."

The wizard growled. "The Lady Phoenix… I should have guessed. She always was attracted to the bitch." He steepled his fingers. "I have things I must oversee here, but I think we should not let our nuisance be free to enjoy herself. Especially with Mars."

Mara nodded. "I agree. I have an imp I can send to annoy them. Anything more will alert the goddess watching over her to my meddling."

The wizard scowled. "No. I have something far more entertaining in mind."

0 0 0 0 0

Urd pounded the keyboard in frustration. "Whaddaya mean, Access Denied! I'm the Sysop!" Yelling at the screen seemed to have no effect on the words it displayed, so with a scowl, Urd tried a different tack. She didn't have any more success.

"Ok. File encrypted and password locked. _Alright_ already." She pondered, wishing she had access to the main board. She glanced across the control center to where Peorth was giving her a faintly amused look from the center seat. No use asking _her_ for a favor.

She turned back to the substation screen and thought of a different approach. "Ok Yggy. _Who_ encrypted it?"

Letters formed across the screen in answer to her query, but nothing could have prepared her for what they said.

Her eyes were locked onto the screen for a long, long time before she found the strength to whisper "Date?"

Again words appeared on the screen "August 27, 647 AD."

A long time after that, she stood up and numbly moved out of the Yggdrasil mainframe, totally oblivious to the look Peorth gave her. The other goddess raised an eyebrow at Urd's strange behavior and called up a copy of the substation's screen. She blinked, then looked after the departing goddess, her eyes narrowing.

A few minutes later, Urd formed out of the TV in the living room and collapsed into her favorite chair.

Belldandy found her there an hour later, still unmoving. "Urd?" she asked, concern written across her features.

"I went to ask Yggdrasil about that Amazon legend." Urd said faintly.

"Oh?" Belldandy was confused. Urd was in a major shock, and she couldn't see how a story over a thousand years old could have caused such a reaction. "What did you find?"

"The file's encrypted…"

"Humm… I'm sure Father had his reasons."

"Kami-sama didn't encrypt it."

Belldandy raised an eyebrow. Urd was one of Yggdrasil's primary Sysops. She had all the passwords, even on probation. "But, who? Peorth?"

Urd's eyes met Belldandy's. "_I_ did."

Belldandy blinked in confusion, then drew in her breath at Urd's next words.

"The file was encrypted by order of Sysop, Goddess, First Class, Unlimited, Urd…"

0 0 0 0 0

Akane sat on her bed, thinking about the events of that morning. After her bout with Shan Pu, she had more or less gone through the school day in a daze, trying to sort out the welter of emotions the fight had brought out.

For one thing, it had shown her exactly how deeply the skills she had absorbed from Zhu Shu had ingrained themselves into her. The training for speed and ki techniques of the Song school, and the even more acrobatic forms of Shiva's Dance had blended with her training in Anything Goes to enable her to hold her own with the Amazon. The ease with which she had used those skills had frightened her and thrilled her at the same time. She had occasionally damaged the dojo before by putting a hole in the wall, or breaking a board here or there, but she and Shan Pu had leveled the place. That was the kind of property damage she would associate with Usagi and the other Senshi… or their enemies. Even Kuno at his worst couldn't level buildings so quickly. Had she met Shan Pu with only the training she had received from her father, she would have been slaughtered.

And Ranma had beaten her _without_ Zhu Shu's abilities, just his own training in Anything Goes. And if he could be believed, he'd beaten her quickly.

She understood now how he could view Kuno with contempt.

It threw into bold relief just how lackadaisical her training in Martial Arts had been in comparison. Yes, her dad had taught her everything he had known, had made her the best martial artist in Furinkan, but he had never pushed her.

No. To be fair, she had never made him push her. She had never had the all consuming drive to be the best that had driven Ranma and Shan Pu. She could have spent years training and never have caught up to them.

But now? Zhu Shu had told her that Shan Pu could beat her easily in unarmed combat, but Akane had held her own… and won.

No… she had been evenly matched… but Shan Pu had acknowledged defeat.

Maybe she'd been wrong about Shan Pu's reasons for wanting to spar. At first she had thought the Amazon had wanted a little revenge for losing to Akane the day before, and for Akane's reaction on finding her naked in bed, but now she didn't think so. It had been more like she had wanted to meet her as an equal, which was why she'd met her with nothing more than Akane had – weapons alone.

Shan Pu hadn't fought at anything less than her best, but it seemed she had wanted to lose… she had _needed_ to lose after giving her all. She had needed to prove to herself that she had given her love to someone worthy. She was an Amazon, and the Champion; her pride demanded she give herself only to the best.

And Akane had proven to her that she was _at least_ an equal. She had not needed to win to know who was truly better, the fight alone had proven her love was worthy. She hadn't cared who was there other than Akane. She had desired only to be taken with a passion as wild as the fury of their fight. She had _needed_ to be taken.

And the depth of her need had frightened Akane.

She'd been forced into this engagement, even if by her own actions. She'd been deliberately corrupted by Zhu Shu to make her amenable to the idea of a female lover, even if she did love Zhu Shu too much to really be angry about it. She'd been manipulated by the old ghoul Shan Pu called her Great-grandmother into begging for her life…

No. The parts of her that were touched by Zhu Shu wouldn't let her take the easy way out. Zhu Shu had never done anything more than be a friend. Akane had been the one to make the decisions. Shan Pu had only jumped to Ranma's defense – much as Akane might have done. Akane had only herself to blame for knocking Shan Pu out. Had it not been for her ties to Ranma and Zhu Shu, Shan Pu would have given her the kiss of death. And now? Shan Pu was only trying to win the heart of someone she had already given hers to…

Could Akane really be angry with Shan Pu for trying to do with her what she had already tried to do with Zhu Shu? And had succeeded at with Ranma?

She sighed and laid back on her bed as the whirlwind in her head continued…

0 0 0 0 0

"Well I still say it's weird." Usagi said to Minako. "I mean why would she want to take Zhu-chan to a movie and not want the rest of us to go, too?"

"Usagi, you can be _so_ dense. Zhu Shu came to her last night because she was so upset about stuff over at Akane's. She needed a break, and peace and quiet. You can't sit through a movie without running commentary and at least five trips to the concession stand for more popcorn." Minako replied.

"So why'd she get so dressed up?" Usagi pouted.

Makoto looked up from the stove where she was cooking. "Think about it, Usagi. You know how Zhu Shu looks _before_ she puts on make up… and they were going to that nice restaurant in the ginza after the movie. Rei had to dress nice to even get in there."

Usagi harumphed. Minako giggled. "I think you're just sore she wanted to go alone."

Usagi curled into a knot of arms and legs. "Well… I wanted to see the movie."

"No… you wanted Rei to _pay_ for you to see the movie." Makoto called. "Now go set the table. Dinner's almost done."

Minako sighed and got up. "Come on Usagi."

"Aww, do I have to? My butt still hurts."

"Then you should have known better than to ask Rei if she had become a pervert and was she really taking Zhu Shu on a date." Makoto said unsympathetically.

Minako giggled, receiving a glare from a red faced Usagi. "Hey!"

"Oh, come on Usagi-chan. It was funny watching Rei turn you over her lap and paddle you. I should have taken pictures. Lots of magazines would pay good money for them." Minako's eyes danced. "Loli S&M, doncha know."

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Usagi yelled, then reconsidered. "Would you?"

The other two girls howled with laughter, but broke off as Ami came into the small kitchen dining room of Makoto's apartment.

"Hey guys? This is pretty weird." She looked up at a beet red Usagi, then at the other two girls swallowing giggles, and asked "Did I miss something?"

"They're being mean!" Usagi wailed.

"Oh… well… I think you might want to look at this." She waved the little mini-computer in her hand. "We might even want to call in Artemis and Luna."

The other three girls got serious in a hurry. "What is it, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked.

"I was running some comparative analysis on my scans for the last few months – just routine maintenance and file management really – and... well... I'd really rather only try to explain this once, but I think it _might _be important."

That was enough for the others. By the time dinner was out, the two felines had arrived.

"What is it Sailor Mercury? We haven't monitored any suspicious activity…"

Ami shook her head. "I've been going over my sensor logs." She had plugged her mini computer to Makoto's wallscreen and with a few key taps brought up an image of Zhu Shu standing on the roof of Hikawa Shrine. Next to it, a sensor trace appeared with labels indicating what the various colors meant. "This is what Zhu-sensei read when we first met her. As you can see, she has absolutely no trace of negative energy, but extremely high levels of what Rei said was chi, and strong traces of magical energy. At the time, there was a last trace I ignored as unimportant." She pointed to a small white trace barely visible at the bottom of the readout. "This is Silver Millennium energy. It's very faint and I dismissed it then because it's fairly common to find people with traces. Anyone descended from the Moon Kingdom survivors will have one." She ran the log forward to the point it had rained. "Here is where she transformed. As you can see, the magic trace spiked off the scale for this one split second, but look at the other traces."

Mina said it first. "They aren't there?"

Ami nodded. "Exactly. For this one instant, it appears Zhu Shu exists only as magical energy. The curse apparently shifts her to a wholly immaterial form for a microsecond then reforms her in the new one. Even her DNA is modified. She is still essentially Zhu Shu, but her genetic structure is that of a dragon-human crossbreed." She ran ahead a few frames to Zhu Shu's dragon-girl form and the traces reappeared, but even Usagi's usually unobservant eyes could see the difference. "Once she has resumed this alternate form, her readings are quite altered."

"Her bands have shifted." Artemis observed.

"Yes. As you can see, her magic trace has climbed almost two orders of magnitude, and note the absence of her chi trace. It almost seems as if her change merges her chi into this strong magical trace. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what that implies." She added a split screen of Rei. "For comparison, here's Rei at the same time period."

"Wow, she's got a magic trace too!" Usagi noted.

Ami nodded. "Well, she is a miko… but as you can see, her major trace is Silver Millennium energy, about ten orders of magnitude over Zhu-sensei." She pressed a few buttons on the computer. "Now I'm going to the readings a few days later, when we all came to the shrine to meet Zhu-sensei." The graphs shifted and Ami tapped the screen as she looked at them seriously.

"I likely wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been doing comparisons, but like this, it's rather obvious. Rei's magic trace has elevated substantially, but what's really strange is this." She pointed to the white trace on Zhu Shu's graph. "Zhu-sensei's Silver Millennium trace also has increased by nearly an order of magnitude. I ran over the logs of the following week, and at first theorized that our Sensei was an energy sponge. I thought it was possible that as she spent time with us, she gradually absorbed small amounts of Silver Millennium energy. The substantial spike following our initial encounter would thus have been explained by her successfully absorbing most of Jupiter's lightning dragon, thereby avoiding serious injury."

Makoto nodded. "I can see that. My attack otherwise would likely have been fatal."

Ami agreed. "However, that does not seem to be an entirely accurate theory."

She tapped a few more keys and the screen jumped ahead to a time reference of just a few hours previous, and everyone gasped. Ami looked grim. "This is our sensei today. As you can see, somehow, she's undergone a massive change. Her chi levels have leaped almost five orders of magnitude and her magic trace has increased by almost twenty. It is almost beyond my computer's ability to measure. Something very strange has happened to her and–"

"Hey! What happened to her Millennium trace?" Usagi interrupted.

Ami nodded. "That is why I decided to show you all this." She tapped a few more keys and the other traces vanished to reveal the previously hidden trace.

"Oh… my… gawd…" Usagi mumbled slack jawed. The others wore equally shocked expressions.

The white trace was off the scale.

"Somehow our sensei's levels of Silver Millennium energy have exceeded my computer's ability to measure it. She is radiating almost as much as the _Ginzishou_."

"Where are Rei and Zhu Shu now?" Luna asked quietly.

"They were going to see the new Sailor V movie and then to dinner at the ginza." Makoto supplied.

"We've got to get to them quick. We need to find out what is going on." Artemis said, his voice more serious than they had heard it in weeks.

An alarm began beeping on Ami's computer. She looked down. "Oh no! I have a massive negative energy vortex building."

"Where?" Luna's voice had a tight edge.

"Juuban ginza." Ami's voice was as colorless as her face.

0 0 0 0 0

"You'd think the way she carries on, Minako would be a better actor." Rei commented over her chow mien. "I mean, who writes her scripts?"

Zhu Shu laughed, surprised at how much she was enjoying herself. Ever since her dream of Ying-Ying, she had been pondering the advice her beloved's ghost had given her, and reviewing the last few weeks. It had made her realize exactly how often she'd noticed looks from Rei that she'd dismissed for no other reason than she was afraid of leading the girl on. She'd been so wrapped up in her quest to help Ranma and Akane that she'd failed to see how much Rei had started to look at her as more than just a friend. She still wasn't sure if Rei actually felt sexual desire for her, but she certainly owed the other girl enough to allow Rei to discover if she did on her own. She had made a promise to herself to allow the slender girl to lead their relationship, and to help in whatever way she could without influencing Rei's preferences.

When Rei had come home from school and they had decided where to go eat, she had made an effort to use some of her training to dress herself and Rei up. Rei had blinked at the bewildering array of cosmetics Zhu Shu had pulled out after she had set the younger girl down in front of her mirror. She had stared in amazement at her own face when Zhu Shu had finished, unable to believe how pretty she looked with a simple light blush and subtle eyeshadow. Then Zhu Shu had dug into Rei's closet and found her an elegant red and gold Qipao and had added a set of golden teardrop earrings to accent the long Mandarin dress. Zhu Shu had chosen a more subdued dress in midnight blue, deliberately attempting to ensure she looked as plain as possible next to the taller raven-haired beauty. The pair of them had turned all kinds of heads that night, Zhu Shu smiling repeatedly at Rei's blushes when various boys had whistled at them, happily relinquishing the spotlight to her.

"I don't know, Rei-chan. I thought it was very entertaining." Zhu Shu answered. "It was interesting to see her _pretending_ to fight. I will have to remember those moves when we train. It will help me to train her better."

"She was on wires most of the time, Zhu-chan. It wasn't real."

"Yes… but there is no reason she can't use what she learned for that to help her out in training. Or combat." Zhu Shu picked at her so-called Schezuan. She could make better in her sleep. "Anyway, I thought she did a good job. It's not _her_ fault they have her sounding like a cheap American superhero."

"Except that I know she adlibs half her lines." Rei laughed. "You know, I'm actually having a lot of fun." She smiled at Zhu Shu.

Zhu Shu nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing. Maybe this was just what I needed… a complete break from–" She was cut off by the sounds of screams from down the street, immediately followed by the commotion of people running past the railing of the open air restaurant. A shudder ran through the ground followed by the roar of something gigantic.

"Dammit!" Rei cursed. "Why _tonight_ of all nights!" She stood and began to search for someplace private, then she felt an arm wrap around her slim waist.

"Hold on." Zhu Shu told her. Rei grabbed her as she leaped, and tried to make herself as small as possible as Zhu Shu rebounded off the wall. They bounced from wall to wall, gaining speed with each bounce until they cleared the upper stories and landed on a rooftop halfway down the street. Zhu Shu looked down at the girl in her arms and smiled. "Time to be a warrior."

Rei smiled back. "That was quite impressive." She held up her wand and tapped Zhu Shu on the nose with it. "Show off."

Zhu Shu giggled. "Maybe."

Rei called out her transformation while still in Zhu Shu's arms, much to the Chinese girl's surprise and Rei's amusement. Zhu Shu found herself caught in the midst of the swirls of energy sweeping around the transforming Senshi, and with a completely naked Rei pressed against her, still laughing as her Senshi uniform started to form. Zhu Shu felt a rush through her as she felt the energy flow along her chi paths, warming her with the heat of Rei's fire. As the henshin finished, she found herself gasping in shock.

She gave Rei a wry look. "Now who's showing off?"

Rei giggled again, then looked off to the distance where another roar could be heard. "I'll be right back." She went to kiss Zhu Shu's cheek.

Zhu Shu had been turned to look towards the roaring, and was turning back to Rei as she started to give her a peck, and as a result their lips met. There was a second of shock, and Zhu Shu started to draw back, realizing Rei had meant to kiss her cheek, but Rei moved with her, her hand rising to cup the back of Zhu Shu's head as she started to kiss her in truth. Zhu Shu stopped resisting and returned it with growing feeling.

Rei broke after a minute and smiled. "That… was wonderful."

Zhu Shu blushed. "That's what I should say."

Rei nodded. "What say I go trounce whatever that is and we go back and finish our date?"

Zhu Shu nodded. "I would like that very much."

Zhu Shu watched as Rei jumped to the roof of the next building, reflecting on the sudden fire the kiss had seemed to ignite. Whatever she and Rei eventually might become, there was no denying there was at least _some_ chemistry there.

Another roar sounded, and she decided to follow Rei and watch her student in action. It was just to study how she fought and see how she could improve her training class, it certainly wasn't because she wanted to watch the beautiful Senshi in action in that _really_ short skirt. Not at all.

0 0 0 0 0

The imp roared happily as it ripped another part of the building away and dropped it down to nearly crush yet another running human. It hadn't had this much fun in centuries. The wizard's sending was feeding it enough power that it felt invincible! Even holding to its current giant size was child's play. And with the havoc it was creating, its prey should be drawn to it soon, her noble instincts wouldn't let her stay away.

"Villain! Monster! For the suffering you have caused innocents, in the name of Mars, I will make you pay!"

The imp looked up to a rooftop across the street from it to see Sailor Mars. It laughed, a vast booming chuckle. Already, its lures were arriving. The dragon-girl couldn't be far behind. "Will you stop me all by yourself, meat?" The imp called as it shrugged off a Fire Soul.

"She is not alone, Villain!" Sailor Venus called from behind it. "Crescent Beam Shower!"

The imp continued laughing as the golden rays of light washed over it without effect . So all of its lures were coming to play. The teacher had to be close. It shrugged off the effects of a Lightning Dragon as it smiled. "So good of you all to come my little Senshi." It waited as the five girls surrounded it. "Now my pet!"

Only Usagi had time to scream as tentacles shot out of shadows all over the rooftops and enveloped the quintet, then even that was cut off as her mouth was clamped closed. They struggled, but for every tentacle they wiggled free of, eight more clamped on.

"Do you like my little ally, Senshi?" The imp gloated. "I would have thought you would have been more wary. You fell into my trap so easily."

A whistle and a sharp report announced the rose bouncing off the imp's scaly hide, followed by a pronouncement in a deep voice.

"Those who seek to destroy beauty may find instead they are destroyed by it!"

The imp turned to Tuxedo Kamen, standing with the moon dramatically behind him on a water tower . "How sweet. More bait." It ignored the spatter of roses as it lashed out at the tower under Tuxedo Kamen's feet, water spraying everywhere as the hollow shell burst. Mamoru flipped through the air towards a new perch, but was snagged by a dozen tentacles and dragged down into the shadowy mass that had almost completely enveloped the Senshi. The imp laughed insanely. The dragon-girl had to come now!

From out of the darkness overhead a flurry of ribbons flickering with golden light lashed down to a call of "Ashura's Whip!"

Roars of pain arose from the shadow beast as the light ripped through dozens of tentacles, freeing the Senshi enough for them to breathe. The imp screamed as pain rushed along the connection it had with the unseen beast. It looked up at the source of its pain and howled.

Hovering in a whirlwind of ribbons was a golden haired figure in a gold-skirted sailor suit. Emerald dragon eyes fixed the creature with implacable anger. Golden light poured down from the shimmering globe of energy that surrounded the figure as she danced in the air, her arms moving in a hypnotic pattern that almost made her seem to have six of them. Then she spoke in a clear voice that cut through the howl of the imp.

"For crimes against life, and crimes against love, I sentence you. In the name of the Dragon, you shall be destroyed." The quiet pronouncement held just a hint of sadness, but carried the finality of doom. The figure put back her head and screamed. "Ashura's Call! Senshi! Lend me your power!"

Rei responded with all the strength she could muster. "Mars Firebird, Burn!" she called as a fiery phoenix flashed upwards into the swirling vortex around the figure and vanished into the burning light.

"She can absorb our attacks!" Mercury yelled. "Mercury Ice Bubbles, Blast!"

One by one, the Senshi added their attacks until the figure glowed like the sun. The imp hurled fireball after fireball to no effect. "What does it take to kill you!" it screamed as yet another fireball was sucked into the glowing orb. The golden figure's scream faded as the ribbons around her pulsed with power, leaving streamers of plasma. In the sudden silence, her voice seemed to echo forever.

"Shiva's Dance, Final Attack. _SWORD OF HEAVEN_!"

The ribbons blazed into a mandala around the figure as she flared brighter than the sun, then they lashed downward in a glowing arc. A vast crescent of plasma speared towards the transfixed imp, then through him and into the shadow beast.

For a second, the imp appeared unharmed as lightning crackled through the shadow beast, then, as the shadows consumed themselves, it slowly began to part. Arcs of energy lashed across the divide before it flared into a concussive wave that flattened the Sailor Senshi, shattering the building's top and leaving not a trace of the imp behind.

Then above them, the golden figure flickered like a dying ember and began to fall.

Rei screamed in denial as Zhu Shu crashed into the rubble with a sickening thud, and scrambled in her direction heedless of her own wounds and bruises.

Zhu Shu lay like a burned and broken doll in a pool of her own blood, her spine severed by a jagged piece of concrete. She coughed, a harsh rattling sound, and blood poured from her mouth. Her eyes opened to focus on the priestess, and her hand rose shakily to brush Rei's hair out of her eyes. "I could not stand by and watch you die, Rei-chan… I… could… not bear–" Her hand fell as her head rolled back, the light fading from her eyes.

In Nerima, Akane's scream ripped out her soul…


	4. Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past

Chapter Two: Shadows of the Past

In the shrine on Cherry Blossom Hill, the Dragon mandala suddenly ignited into crimson as a portal opened in its center. Two figures emerged from the sun-bright hole in the air and resolved themselves into a pair of feminine forms. The taller of the two looked around and nodded. "Good we have arrived correctly. Now we must hurry! There is no more time!"

She raised the long golden key shaped staff in her hand and cried "Sailor Teleport!"

The two figures faded from view.

0 0 0 0 0

Akane's scream ripped through the evening and drew everyone running to jam in the door to her room. Akane was curled up on the bed crying piteously, projecting an aura of pure despair.

"Akane?" Ranma asked with more concern than anyone had ever heard in his voice. "What's wrong?"

She looked up, her face a mask of misery. "Zhu Shu! She was in a fight… Oh gods, Ranma… She's dead!"

Ranma hit his knees as a collective gasp arose. Shan Pu came stumbling out of Zhu Shu's room partially dressed and with a look of murder in her eyes. She pushed through the crowd to meet Akane's tearful gaze. "Shan Pu feel. Tell who did. Shan Pu kill."

Akane nodded, her tears giving way to a look of pure rage. "I'm coming with you."

0 0 0 0 0

In a house by a shrine in Nikomi, a vase shattered as it fell from Belldandy's nerveless fingers and a rain began to fall on Tokyo.

Urd and Skuld rushed into the kitchen, concern an uncommon expression on Urd's face while Skuld was crying unabashedly as she ran to hug Belldandy tightly. Belldandy stroked her hair as she cried as well, listening to the sounds of a god mourning the loss of a mortal child…

0 0 0 0 0

In the heavens, Kami-sama stepped down from his throne, a tear crawling down his face from his single blue eye at the sound that rang through the myriad of worlds in his care. He placed his hand on the arm of his throne and bowed his head.

"Soon, old friend. It is almost over. Soon you will need grieve for your children no more…"

0 0 0 0 0

In her lair, Mara had watched the battle via her camera imp. As Zhu Shu fell, she had laughed at the irony of it all… To have gone through so much trouble in China only to have this happen?

Her laughter was cut short as her ears picked up a sound that cut through the black haze that had filled her mind of late and drained away the rage that had fed it.

The Dragon was mourning the loss of his child…

She slowly sank to her knees, her eyes locked on the still form in her mirror as the realization sank in and despair drove the madness from her mind.

"By Hild… What have I _done?_"

0 0 0 0 0

In a pagoda in China, an old, old man knelt in front of an altar shaped in the form of an Imperial Dragon. Around him, the Dragon mandala slowly faded from crimson to blue. Tears ran from his eyes as he knelt. Even here, locked away in the shrine, he gave no other outward sign of his grief; anymore than he had the day his granddaughter had left his protection to seek her destiny, or the day he had found her body broken and cold at the base of a cliff. An ancient woman and a young girl had found him there, holding her silent form, and they had given her back to him… along with a warning.

It had not made it hurt any less the second time…

0 0 0 0 0

Nabiki watched as her sister and her two fiancées disappeared into the rain. It was a truly mind numbing event to find she was so upset over what Akane had said had happened. Kasumi was in the kitchen making tea in a daze, her dad and Mr. Saotome were in the dining room getting drunk, and here she was staring off after the fighters and wishing, for the first time since she had convinced her dad to stop dragging her into the dojo and trying to teach her to fight, that she had continued the lessons…

And she had certainly never expected to feel like she had just lost a sister.

0 0 0 0 0

Zhu Shu opened her eyes to the soft fluttering of petals against her cheek. She was surprised to find herself in a grove of cherry trees. She remembered thinking that she was dying, but now the pain was gone, and she was here.

Wherever _here_ was.

She stood and looked around. In every direction stood cherry trees, all in bloom. A soft breeze was stirring the branches and the fall of petals was as thick as snow. Overhead was a night sky, fading into a softly lit horizon in all directions, like the last moments of a setting sun…

She turned, her ears catching a sound other than the wind in the trees and found a faint path leading between the trees towards what looked to be a small clearing. Slowly she walked towards the brighter light. As she approached, the sounds resolved themselves into a cheerful humming of the song her mother had once sung to her.

She stepped out into the clearing to find a large granite slab covered with the Dragon mandala. Beyond it stood an arch of stone. Setting in front of the arch, blocking it completely, was a bench. Sitting on the bench was…

"Ying-Ying?" she asked in amazement, her eyes blinking.

The pink haired beauty looked up. "Ni hao, my love. I'd say nice to see you again, but not here…" She looked around. "If I had my way, we'd never meet _here_ again." She sighed.

"Where is this place?" Zhu Shu asked, puzzled.

Ying-Ying grimaced. "Death's door."

Zhu Shu started. "I'm dead then…" Zhu Shu looked down at herself. "I feel fine."

Ying-Ying smiled. "Of course you do, love. This place is a place of souls."

Zhu Shu turned wide eyes to her. "Have you come to meet me?"

Ying-Ying laughed, her bright voice tinkling. "Oh, Beloved… It's really too bad I can't let you remember meeting me in this place anymore than last time. That's exactly the same thing you asked the last time you were here. My answer is still the same. This is where I have _always_ been. This is where the Dragon has made a place for me. This is my destiny."

"Your destiny?"

"Yes, love. The destiny I _chose_ so that I could always remain with you even though we could meet only in dreams. I am your Guardian. I bar the door."

"I don't understand." Zhu Shu said uncertainly.

"Yes, you do, beloved. You just don't want to. I could not bear a life apart from you, it was just too painful to feel both my own loss and your loneliness. I– I took my life to escape from that pain, yet as I left the mortal world behind, I faced the Dragon. He gave me a choice. I could go to the spirit realm, and you would join me there soon, or I could wait here, at the boundary of your life and death and bar _your_ way." She smiled as she gestured around. "It was an easy choice to make. Here, I can be with you, watch as you live your life, watch as you find your loves, and as time passes and your grief fades, I can come to you in dreams." Ying-Ying smiled softly. "I am forever with you, my love."

Zhu Shu sat down on the bench beside her. "I wish you could be with me in life."

"But I am, love. I am always here, you just have not found the way to visit me yet, because you have not searched for me. Nor were you ready to. You have traveled far in your quest, both physically and spiritually. Soon, you will find the path to me… Then, you will know I am always here."

"You speak as if I am to leave."

"You soon shall. I told you. I bar the door. So long as I stand guard you cannot truly die. You still have a destiny to find in life, as I found mine in death. You are on the path towards what you must become, this is just a pause in the path, a place to rest. When last you were here, I comforted you for my loss, and even though you remember it not, when you were healed, your grief for me had begun to heal too. You will not remember this either, but this too is a time of healing. I started it early when I came to your dreams, but here, I can do much more." She patted her lap. Zhu Shu smiled as she turned and lay back to look up at Ying-Ying's beautiful face. As Ying-Ying ran her fingers through her hair, she closed her eyes.

"I love it when you stroke my hair."

"I know. I love stroking it. It's one of the things I miss most. I really wish I could let you keep more than just impressions of our meeting here, but I can at least comfort you with the fact that it will not always be so. When you can find your own way to me, there will no longer be any need."

"But why must it be so?"

"Because, Zhu Shu, you have a destiny that you must find on your own. I can guide you only so much. I don't know all of your future, Love, but I know too much. If I say too much, I may guide you towards that future, or I may destroy all possibility of you ever achieving it. The risk is too great at this point. As much as it saddens me, the only way to be sure you are the one who makes your own choices is to cloud your memories of these times."

"Is my destiny so important, then?"

Ying-Ying smiled. "To the world? I cannot say. But to those whose lives you touch, and to me, yes. You affect the lives of everyone you meet Zhu Shu, and because of you, they grow, or they change, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in large. You are a catalyst, an agent of change, and your part in the lives of your friends is not yet over. But for everyone whose life you touch, they touch you as well. You learn from them and care for them, as the Dragon cares for you. You are the Dragon's Child."

Zhu Shu looked up at Ying-Ying. "I don't understand."

"You will, in time, beloved. For now, it is time to sleep. When you awake, you will be with your friends once more… and in time, you will remember this. But for now, sleep…"

Zhu Shu's eyes drifted closed slowly as her breathing grew quiet. Ying-Ying continued stroking her hair as she drifted deeper into sleep. Finally, she asked the air "I didn't tell her too much, did I?"

"No child. And as you said she will not remember this," a kind and gentle voice spoke from the air all around her.

"This is the only part of my choice I regret. The need to make her forget. The loneliness she will continue to feel, not knowing I am here."

"Yet you know the necessity of it."

Ying-Ying sighed. "Yes."

"We can at least do what we may to make her task easier. She has been burdened with emotions and learning not her own. I will remove that burden and allow her to assimilate the knowledge in time."

Ying-Ying nodded. "It would help. I know Belldandy and Urd meant well, but I fear they did not expect the exchange to be so hard for her. My Little Mouse feels far too much like a leaf in a whirlwind."

"Akane's mind is far more chaotic. She had far less trauma from it, and has gained much of Zhu Shu's calm, where Zhu Shu has had her calm taken, and cannot regain it fully. If this continues, she will go mad, as it has only been her innate nature that has contained the cancer of her soul. Already, I sense the darkness within her has grown. "

Ying-Ying nodded. "I know, Legend. I wish I had been able to conquer my own demons and not take my life. I gave Chaos a path to her heart with my weakness."

"Had you not, you would not have been able to save her now. Destiny would have come by a different path, and found you unprepared."

"Is the future so certain then?"

"No future is _certain,_ child." another voice added. "Least of all, hers."

Ying-Ying looked up to see a kindly face, one belonging to a smiling man with an intense blue eye and a patch. He looked down at the sleeping girl in Ying-Ying's lap.

Ying-Ying bowed, careful not to disturb Zhu Shu. "I should not question, All-Father." she apologized.

Kami-sama reached out to brush a stray hair from Ying-Ying's face. "It is natural to question, child. Even more so when it is for the welfare of one you love."

Ying-Ying assayed a small smile. "Yes, All-Father. I just wish I was not so powerless to help her."

"It will not always be so, Ying-Ying." Legend's voice answered. "She will heal eventually, and with healing will come the understanding to find her way back to you."

"I wish I could tell her more."

"In time child." Kami-sama said. "We have worked too long and too hard to thwart Chaos to risk exposing our hand to the enemy. What we have prepared for has been set in motion. The Norn of the Past's task has been given, the Dragon's Child brought out of hiding, the Shadow Lord has made his presence known. The signs that we have traveled the right road are occurring. The scales _will_ be balanced."

Ying-Ying bowed in acknowledgement. "She misses me so much, Lord. It has been _so_ hard for her."

"This too shall be redressed" Legend responded. "If we remain strong, all will be well."

"It is time…" Kami-sama said gently. "They have arrived."

Ying-Ying nodded and traced the curve of Zhu Shu's face one final time as she faded from view.

"I just wish it wasn't so hard to wait…"

0 0 0 0 0

"Truly a tragic loss of one so brave." Tuxedo Kamen said quietly, allowing Sailor Moon to sob against his chest, her tears lost amid the falling rain.

Rei sat numbly staring, Zhu Shu's hand still clutched in hers while around her, the other Senshi huddled on their knees, crying.

Then a soft golden light surrounded them and a kindly voice spoke. "Your grief does you credit, Senshi, but you mourn too soon."

All eyes but Rei's turned to look at the figures outlined in the golden glow as they stepped out of the light.

An ancient woman with ankle length hair walked towards the still and bloody figure. Faint hints of green could still be seen in the sable mass, and her robe was trimmed in red and black. Her face was smooth, but her skin was as thin as parchment, and the hand that gripped her long golden staff was almost pure bone. Eons lived within her eyes.

Beside her walked a girl of about thirteen, dressed in a Sailor suit with spiky shoulders and a purple fuku. She carried a glaive with a double blade somewhat reminiscent of a can opener and the shadows of a thousand sorrows haunted her eyes.

They stopped by Zhu Shu's body, untouched by the rain, and the elder reached down to place a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Rise, Soul of Fire. Do not mourn for the Dragon."

Rei turned her tear streaked face, her eyes a frozen wasteland, and stared without seeing the figure in front of her. "She is gone…" she whispered.

"No, child. The Dragon but _sleeps._" The old woman reached down and with surprising strength, drew Rei to her feet. "Watch, and grieve no more." She turned to the young girl. "Hotaru."

The girl nodded and raised her hands as energy coursed through her body and into the still form on the ground. Zhu Shu rose slowly into the air as her broken form began to knit itself back together.

The Senshi stared in shock as blood flowed back into the slowly spinning figure and a halo of energy grew brighter and brighter. Her body seemed to fade into transparency as her clothes burned away in the flow. Only the dragon tattoo on her back remained visible, seeming to acquire a strange three dimensionality as she spun.

Then streamers of energy spun around her transparent form and a vision of her reformed, and yet, it was not. A tiara graced her forehead, carved into the silhouette of a dragon clutching the ruby at her brow. From her ears dangled paired yin yang symbols, while she was dressed in a variant of a Sailor suit that was distinctly Mandarin, her scarlet fuku trimmed in gold. In her hands, she held her swords, long scarlet streamers trailing from them, but the dragons burned with a white light on their blades. Her feet bore elegant scarlet slippers with small gold ribbons and she was surrounded by a corona of golden flame.

The vision hung there for seconds only as the Senshi gasped, then faded along with the energy pouring from the other girl. Zhu Shu hung in the air before them, sheathed in her plain blue Mandarin dress. As her spin came to a halt, she suddenly took a deep shuddering breath and slowly descended to the ground. When her feet touched, her eyes opened and locked on to the face of the old woman supporting a near fainting Rei. "You?"

The old woman nodded. "Once more we meet outside of dreams, for the second time." She let Rei go as the other girl stepped beside her. She smiled as she looked at Zhu Shu. "Three times must we meet, while the Dragon sleeps. Three times I will call, in answer to your fall. Three times must you face, the price of defying fate. Three times must I mourn, ere the Dragon stands reborn." She stepped back into the light. "Farewell, my Little Mouse with the eyes of a Dragon. We will meet again, for the last time and the first time. Until then…" In a fall of golden light, they were gone.

For a moment, all was silent, then like a meteor striking a planet, Rei crashed into Zhu Shu's embrace.

0 0 0 0 0

The other Senshi were still standing frozen, too stunned yet to move, when a sound like a bomb dropping came from overhead and an explosion sent Sailor Moon flying as the roof under her disintegrated. A battle cry of "Shan Pu kill!" echoed across the battlefield as the purple haired Amazon launched herself at another Senshi, her violet aura turning the falling rain into steam.

"Shan Pu! NO!"

The voice stopped the rampaging Amazon dead in her tracks, her bon buri a fraction of an inch from Sailor Mercury's face. Her eyes turned slowly to the direction the sound had come from, her aura wavering, then flickering out. For a second she blinked, then there was a surprised meow as she vanished into the rubble, her bon buri clattering to the ruined roof.

The Senshi blinked, wondering what had just happened, then Akane dropped down to the battlefield as well.

"How could you let her get killed!" she yelled through her tears. "You were her…" her voice trailed off as she realized who was standing in Rei's embrace.

"Zhu Shu…" she whispered, not daring to believe her eyes, but the miracle didn't disappear and with the passing of her rage, she could once again feel that the missing part of her mind had returned. She stood stunned for the space of too many heartbeats as Rei stepped out from in front of the blonde dragon-girl, then with a flicker and a sonic boom, she was twirling Zhu Shu in an embrace.

"_YOU'RE ALIVE!_"

"Yes. Zhu Shu alive! Careful! No want Akane to break!"

A muttering and slightly steamy Shan Pu emerged from the rubble with an umbrella and landed next to them. She saw Akane hugging Zhu Shu and joined in the embrace, holding them tightly. Then one by one, the other Senshi joined in the group hug and happy noises arose.

Lost and forgotten, a pair of legs flailed wildly from the pile of rubble which concealed their owner as muffled cries for help could be heard. Tuxedo Kamen finally noticed them and the group broke up to go and help him dig Sailor Moon out…

0 0 0 0 0

Ranma dropped into the happy fray a few seconds later, overjoyed as well at finding Zhu Shu alive, but the wet redhead warned them that she had seen a few JSDF helicopters on the way. With a quick scurry, they all darted for cover.

Thoroughly wet from the rain, the group found cover in a nearby parking garage, most of the girls having to wring the water out of their hair. Ranma for once was self conscious enough to not pull her shirt off to wring it out, though he gave the only semi dry member of their group an evil eye and muttered about how unfair it was that some people had umbrellas. Akane finally released Zhu Shu long enough to ask "What happened?"

Zhu Shu gave her a sad smile. "Senshi need help. Attacks not affect creature. Zhu Shu had use Final Attack to kill."

Ranma stared. "Zhu-chan, that was suicidal! Final Strikes are fatal to all but the strongest of martial artists!"

Zhu Shu nodded. "Could not let friends die."

Akane blinked. "Your accent's back!"

"She was dead, like really messed up and blood everywhere!" Sailor Moon said.

"She– she fell on some rubble… and– and she died holding my hand." Mars said quietly, still distressed over it all. "Then– then an old woman came with a girl dressed like us and healed her."

"Who kill? Shan Pu no see anyone else!" The Amazon asked.

"There was this big creature, like a demon, and it was controlling something else… a creature like living shadow." Mercury said. "She destroyed it. She destroyed them both, using her own energy and everything we could give her. She was absorbing everything, even what the creature was throwing at her. Then she threw it all back at it. She destroyed it utterly."

Ranma stared. "What kind of school is that? I've never studied anything like it. And I've never seen you use energy absorption before."

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Shiva's Dance dangerous. Dance of Veils is only part of Dance. Zhu Shu use Dance of Ashura. Zhu Shu only spar with Ranma use Song School. Sword dance. Shiva's Dance use ribbon. Zhu Shu leave swords in Tendo's care. Only have ribbon. Saw Senshi in danger. Have to help." The blonde dragon-girl turned emerald green eyes to Akane. "Zhu Shu _have_ to help." her voice pleaded for understanding.

Akane hugged her. "Yes. You did. I'm just glad that you're alive now."

Shan Pu touched her shoulder. "Is warrior's duty risk all for village." she said, in a voice that showed she was proud of Zhu Shu. "Zhu Shu have heart of Warrior. No have other choice."

Akane gave the Amazon an appraising look and smiled. Shan Pu smiled softly back at her. "Still, is glad sister alive too." she added.

Mercury was looking over her computer. "As far as I can tell, Zhu-sensei is in perfect health, at least for this form."

Sailor Moon was looking over her shoulder. "Hey! What happen– Ulp!" She glared at Jupiter over the hand covering her mouth.

"Zhu Shu is fine. And we should thank this wonderful citizen for helping us like she did. Don't you agree, _Sailor Moon_?"

"Yes, indeed. We should definitely thank her. That someone who doesn't know us would lend a hand like that is very noble." Venus said.

"Don't bother, Minako. I already know who you all are." Ranma said. "You think I could watch Zhu Shu train you five and not recognize the way you all move? Or Usagi's hair?"

"What's wrong with my hair!" Usagi shouted as she yanked Makoto's hand away.

"Nothing, if you want to look like a meatball head."

Usagi sniffed. "I'll have you know Mamoru adores them." She stuck out her tongue. "So there!"

Ranma stuck out her tongue back. "Odango Atama!"

"Baka!"

"Scarecrow!"

"Femboy!"

Akane gave the two name callers a cool look. "And to think, Japan depends on _her_ to save it from evil."

0 0 0 0 0

After they got everything sorted out, and explained to Shan Pu why she shouldn't tell anyone that Zhu Shu's students were the Senshi, Zhu Shu elected to go back to the shrine with Rei for the night, needing a quiet place to meditate and see what her brief encounter with death had done to her. Akane, Shan Pu and Ranma had all pouted, but acceded to her request. Zhu Shu noticed that Akane and Ranma were still giving Shan Pu a wide berth, but there was respect there as well. At least it hadn't gone all that badly, but she couldn't go back just yet, not until she had accustomed herself to the reversion she had undergone. It was very strange, like there were things she could _almost_ remember… so much that seemed just out of reach in a golden fog.

At least she didn't feel like Akane's emotions were raging just under her consciousness, only barely contained. She felt like herself again, and while her chi was still intertwined, and she was still linked, she was _herself_ again... fully and only herself. After the last week, it was a definite relief... but it would take a few hours of peace for her to recover her equilibrium after dying, though despite the fact she had expended every last bit of her chi in the Final Attack, she felt almost overflowing with life energy. Every part of her body shivered with electric tingles.

And yet… despite how strange she felt, there was a feeling of peace in her… like… like… like the way she had always felt when Ying-Ying had held her and stroked her hair after she had gotten into trouble with her aunt once again… or after Sung Li had tormented her…

Even walking through the rain with Rei in soaking wet dresses, the memory made Zhu Shu smile.

_((I am here. Always and forever, I am here.))_

0 0 0 0 0

"What do you mean the trace has changed?" Luna asked Ami. "Has it jumped again?"

Ami looked up from the computer and looked to where Luna was trying to stay dry while Usagi combed the water out of her tails. "It hasn't jumped, but it has changed drastically. Her magic trace seems to have been altered, and the Silver Millennium trace is now diffused into the rest. It's much harder to filter out now, but it hasn't dropped in strength. If anything, her _overall_ energy levels are higher now than when I scanned her earlier this evening."

"And you say she absorbed and used the power of _all_ of your attacks?" The black cat was wide eyed.

"And the monster's. She practically set the air around her ablaze. I can't figure it out yet."

Luna looked to Artemis. "Is she a hidden Senshi?"

Artemis shook his head. "I don't know. I don't remember anyone like her."

Makoto and Minako looked at the cats. "So what do we do in the mean time?" Minako asked.

Artemis looked at Luna for a long moment. "For now, we do nothing. I need to research this." The white cat said finally. "At least, for now, we know she's safe, and on our side."

"What's going on with our sensei?" Makoto asked "Is she going to be okay?"

Artemis looked at her. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before."

"Well, she's certainly proven she's capable of being a Senshi. I think we can trust her, Artemis. Maybe we should tell her what's happening. She might know something about it." Luna said

The white cat disagreed. "No. It's too dangerous when we don't know what's going on. Until we know for certain, we must protect her as much as we would any normal human."

"Yeah, but didn't you see that outfit she was wearing when she was being healed?" Usagi said as she fell to the bed. "She's, like, gotta be a Senshi!"

"I don't think she is, Usagi. I need to see what I can find out before anyone says anything to her."

Usagi pouted. "Alright, but she'd be a great Senshi."

The other girls chimed in their agreement as the white cat buried his face in his paws.

0 0 0 0 0

Nabiki stared blearily at the morning paper and wondered if she should be shocked. She was barely awake enough to actually care, but still…

She had still been standing in front of the dojo when Akane, Ranma, and Shan Pu had come home. She had listened incredulously as they had told her the story of Zhu Shu's death and revival. She was glad Zhu Shu was alive, but it had just been too much to assimilate. And now…

The Headline read "A NEW SENSHI?" and had a brief description of the battle, but it was the picture that horrified her.

It had apparently been taken by a brave photographer during the battle. It was a telephoto of the so-called new Senshi, as sharp and clear as most Senshi photos were blurry, and despite the gold fuku and the halo of gold light, it was recognizably Zhu Shu in her cursed form.

She sighed heavily. For all her skill at manipulating information, this was _way_ out of her league.

Too many people at Furinkan knew what Zhu Shu looked like in both forms, and they knew she lived at the Tendos. The last thing they needed was Senshi level threats showing up at their door. Shan Pu and Akane where destructive enough on their own.

She needed help on this one… it just required too much spin control.

She pulled out her new cell phone and hit the speed dial.

0 0 0 0 0

Kasumi was bleary eyed, but happy once more. The news Akane had delivered the night before had nearly destroyed her indestructible calm, and she had numbly cleaned a spotless kitchen for hours until Akane and Ranma had told her that Zhu Shu was alive again, then she had fainted. They had gotten her into a chair, and gotten some tea in her and she had finally realized how upset she had been, and how relieved she was at the news. It had been as devastating as the loss of her mother… or as it would be if she lost Akane or Nabiki.

But the news she was all right had restored her. The news she would be home in a day or so had cheered her up, and it had enabled her to revive enough of her usual self to notice that Ranma and Akane had been particularly wan and drawn. She had finally gotten them to drink the tea she had made 'to fight off the chill' and the herbs would keep them out for most of the day. Then she had crawled into bed herself. Only habit had woken her up this morning to make breakfast.

She took the first dishes out to the dining room, only to find a sleepy Nabiki already sitting there. She was just setting down a cell phone and looking worriedly at the paper.

"Good morning, Nabiki. Is something wrong?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yeah, when Akane came home and told me Zhu Shu had been involved a fight alongside the Sailor Senshi, I figured I better check the paper this morning." She turned the paper and shoved it towards Kasumi.

"Oh, my! Doesn't she look just like a Sailor Senshi."

"That's the problem." Nabiki said glumly. "This is going to be a bigger problem than when you frenched her on the subway."

Kasumi sniffed. "I didn't think that was a problem. She deserved a good kiss."

Nabiki gave her the eye. "It wasn't the kiss, Kasumi. It was the _photos_. Same here. It wouldn't matter that Zhu Shu helped out the Sailor Senshi if she hadn't been photographed doing it. I just got off the phone with Tao-Ching about spin doctors." A slightly dreamy look came to her eyes as she mentioned Ryouga's cousin.

Kasumi nodded. "I'm sure you'll work it out." She checked mentioning the morning paper to Nabiki off her mental to-do list. Nabiki had already prescribed her own therapy to deal with the residual emotional stresses without Kasumi's prompting. Kasumi's smile grew a little wider as she went back into the kitchen to finish her father's cure to the aftereffects of _his_ therapy. She hummed happily.

Her family had survived another storm intact… that was all that mattered.

0 0 0 0 0

Rei stood in the doorway, watching the soft rise and fall of Zhu Shu's chest as she slept. She had tried to sleep following the fight last night, but her dreams had been chaotic and emotionally draining. She had gotten up a dozen times in the night to reassure herself that Zhu Shu was still alive.

She sighed softly, her relief that Zhu Shu was really there easing the tangled whirl of doubts and fears her dreams had raised. She smiled at the sleeping girl and contemplated on how happiness felt.

It had been so wonderful last night. Zhu Shu had done so much to make her feel like a star, and she had been so beautiful once Zhu Shu had done her make up. She had felt the eyes of every male they had passed last night, and it had felt so wonderful, like she had imagined it would feel when she was a pop idol. Zhu Shu had made sure she was in the spotlight, had made her feel _special_, like no boy she had dated had ever done. She'd admit to her share of raging hormones, and to masturbating furiously to thoughts of this or that handsome boy making love to her, but even the best of them could make her feel like a trophy, or a piece of meat.

Zhu Shu hadn't. She'd made her feel graceful, poised, confident, but still herself. She'd been a mighty warrior in her past life, a life she could only remember vague memories of, but in this life, she had felt like a pretender to a destiny that try as she might, she didn't always feel up to accomplishing. For all that had happened, she still felt like an imposter at times. A girl _pretending_ to be Sailor Mars.

Then, when the creature had attacked, Zhu Shu's confidence in her had made her feel like she had in her memories, like a valiant warrior fighting evil to defend the Kingdom of the Moon. The kiss they had shared had made her feel that she could defeat anything.

Then, having Zhu Shu show up to aid her and the other Senshi, it had been what she sometimes was so jealous of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen for, someone who had stood to give her aid when she needed it, someone who could watch her back. She had been proud when Zhu Shu had defeated the creature by combining all of their powers.

And then Zhu Shu had fallen. Watching her, Rei had felt all of time stop. She had tried to move, to run, to catch her, but her body just couldn't push its way through the concrete the air had become. Zhu Shu had been there to save _her_, but _she_ couldn't save Zhu Shu.

She had failed at the only thing that had any meaning at that moment.

In that one second, everything she was, everything she had felt, every emotion she had ever had concerning Zhu Shu had laid itself out with perfect clarity, and she had known, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that she had failed someone she cared very much for.

She liked boys, perhaps even a little _too_ much. Last night had proven that quite well. She had loved having all of the male attention…

But Zhu Shu had a way that made her feel special – like she already _was_ everything she aspired to be. When Zhu Shu had smiled at her, she had _felt _like a superstar, like she was the most important person in the world. No man she had ever met had done that, had made her feel... _accepted_... like Zhu Shu had.

She examined the sleeping girl's body, admiring every curve. She had never felt like this about any girl she had ever known… never fantasized about what it would be like to explore her body, feel her caresses returned.

Could it really be _love_?

Zhu Shu turned in her sleep, the gold and crimson Dragon on her back catching the dim rays of the rising sun in a flash of dazzling light, and Rei suddenly found herself in a vision.

An image of the Dragon formed in her mind, riding on a huge banner above a throne towards which she was walking, an Emissary of the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Mars. Her head was lowered respectfully as she ascended the dais to meet the woman who sat upon the throne, and she heard a voice announce her.

"My I present to you the Emissary sent by our ally, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, my Empress. One of the Royal Guardians, Sailor Mars."

Rei raised her eyes to take her first look at the woman on the throne, the woman that Serenity had called one of Endymion's strongest allies next to his five Generals, and found herself lost within Zhu Shu's emerald green eyes…

Then, the vision was gone, and there was only a fall of golden dust in the sunlight highlighting Zhu Shu's tattoo. Rei stepped back from the door, her heart hammering.

Was it a real memory? Had Zhu Shu been part of the Silver Millennium?

Had Rei known her then, too?

She stood in the shadows for a long time… but no answers came out of the dark.

0 0 0 0 0

Rei finally fell asleep, and the day passed slowly. The other Senshi slept in, missing school for once for a reason other than battle. Ranma, Akane and Shan Pu continued sleeping, Kasumi finally took a nap, and Nabiki spent most of the day on the phone. Soun and Genma finally awoke and availed themselves of the ample supply of hangover remedy that Kasumi had left for them. Luna sat in the window sill while Usagi tossed and snored, waiting to see if Artemis would contact her to let her know what he found out. Finally, around mid afternoon, the cause of all the fuss awoke and quietly slipped out of the temple to the shrine's koi pond to do her kata and meditate.

Zhu Shu had been unable to stay awake any longer than it took to crawl out of her wet dress and collapse on the futon. She had slept the sleep of the exhausted, and could not remember any of her dreams beyond impressions of falling cherry blossoms, but she had awakened still feeling vibrantly alive. She had slept better than she had in years, and emotionally and physically, she felt wonderful. Somehow, it felt like some enormous weight she had been carrying had been lifted. Even more so than following her dream of Ying-Ying, she felt _happy_.

There were some disconcerting effects of having died. She had gradually been growing accustomed to the raging emotions she had gotten from Akane, and the whirlwind it had made of her own calm, but now, they were gone. Only her own feelings remained. She still loved all three of them, but the overwhelming urge to throw herself passionately into their combined embraces had become a pleasant desire instead of a heartrending compulsion.

Beyond that, she had noticed as she had cleared her chakra that her chi had somehow been changed as well. It was still a blend with Akane, as it would always be so long as they were linked, but it had been affected in other ways as well. The sheer amount of power she had drawn upon, both from the Senshi, and that she absorbed from the creature, together with the overload of her Final Attack had scoured out her pathways, both widening and deepening them, and the chi that flowed through them had a feel she had never experienced before. Her chi had always flowed through her like a stream of warm water, but now, it was like a broad river, placid and deep. And there was an electric feel to it, unlike anything she had ever felt before. When she had formed the chi talons of the Dragon's Claw, the golden energy had borne an undertone of silver.

It was mystifying, but livable. In all other respects, her chi was behaving normally. As best as she could tell, it seemed she was once again who she had been before her strange merger with Akane.

In a way, that was a disappointment. She could still recall some of the events of Akane's life, but no longer were they inseparable from her memories. It was more like they had grown up together. But along with that sense of separateness, she had lost some of the knowledge she had gained. She could recall memories of Akane's lessons with her father, but the actual skills of the Anything Goes school were little more than a memorized set of poses. She had tried a few stances, and they felt alien, unnatural. She had no doubt that with practice she could master them, but it would take months if not years to acquire them as her own. Along with the blurring of those memories, she had lost the easy command of Japanese Akane had as a native speaker. She still understood it perfectly, and quite a few more of the written characters made sense to her now, but she was back to the broken speech patterns that Rei kept telling her were absolutely adorable. It was frustrating, but again, livable.

She searched the back of her mind and found the bond that their merger had formed was still as strong as ever. She and Akane were still as linked as if they had shared the womb together. Her blood link to Shan Pu was still there as well, and…

She froze when she came across what seemed to be another link, one so faint that had she not been examining herself so closely, she never would have found it. Hesitantly, she reached out mentally to touch it.

She fought against the tears when she realized it was the remnants of her link to Ying-Ying. She had believed it forever lost the day she had felt her die, but still, some small part remained, still faintly warm to her soul…

_((I am here...))_ The faint memories of her dream echoed. _((I am always and forever… here…))_

And finally… her tears were gone. For the first time since she had lost Ying-Ying, the darkness of her grief was fading into the light. As she sat in the stillness of the afternoon sunlight, the sakura blossoms falling around her like perfumed snow, she finally understood what her dreams had been telling her for so long. Even though Ying-Ying was gone, that part of her that could stay had never left her. Her memories, her feelings, her love… they were still as much a part of her as they had been when Ying-Ying had been alive.

And only her long walling away of her grief had hidden that.

She held onto the single small strand of the link in her mind as she whispered "I finally understand…"

_((I am here…))_ Ying-Ying's memories said once again. _((I am always and forever… here…))_

For a long timeless eternity, Zhu Shu held onto the link, feeling its faint warmness, drawing strength from it, chasing the last of grief's chill from her soul.

And with the final release of that grief, Zhu Shu found herself finally at peace with her feelings for Akane. Yes, she loved her, but she had made the right choice. Akane had to learn to live with her new family, with Ranma and Shan Pu. She could help Akane with that, and her love for Akane would make her try all the harder to see her new sister happy. Once her quest had been fulfilled, _if_ her husband would permit it, she would be overjoyed to be allowed to share Akane and Shan Pu's attentions, and possibly even willing to join Ranma as well, but for now she was content. If it was meant to be, it would come in its proper time.

Which left her with the question of Rei.

Rei Hino had been her first friend among the Sailor Senshi, trying hard to make up for having attacked her, and Zhu Shu _did_ like her very much, but she was two years younger, and very confused about her feelings. Akane had shown traits that had made Zhu Shu suspect she wouldn't be adverse to the marriage to Shan Pu if she could be made to examine herself, but Rei was as boy crazy as they came – all the Senshi were. Why was Rei so fascinated with _her_? She couldn't deny she found the girl incredibly attractive, and was more than willing to allow Rei to date her, and find out for herself how far she went in her attraction to Zhu Shu, but she still worried that she was leading the girl on somehow.

She sighed, still touching the link to Ying-Ying. And suddenly an answer came to her. It might be because she was young, and Zhu Shu expressed a side of sexuality that she may have had little contact with before. With Rei being a miko, she had a personality that sought to explore further, to find the limits of her own feelings. So perhaps it was really more of a question of how far Rei truly wanted to explore.

And for that, only time would tell. If that was what she truly sought, Zhu Shu would happily share as much of herself as the miko desired. It had been most a year since she had shared her body with Sarhia, and she had only resisted Shan Pu's advances out of fear of harming her sister's future relationship with Ranma. So long as Rei took that step of her own free will, she could accept her with a clear conscience.

Reassured, Zhu Shu reluctantly let go of the link as she slowly allowed herself to refocus on the outside world. She blinked in the afternoon sun and smiled as she watched the sakura blossoms float by.

It was funny really. She felt better about everything than she had in years. Even her hopeless, doomed quest didn't seem as dark as it had. She had her dream of Ying-Ying's promise it would not end as badly as she feared… that there was a male out there who she could actually love and desire.

Death, it seemed, had been wonderfully therapeutic…

In her room, Rei opened sleepy eyes to a sound she had never heard before. Zhu Shu had chuckled, even giggled, but Rei had never heard her laugh…

As sleep claimed her once more, she smiled. It had been good to hear.

0 0 0 0 0

_Tokyo Evening News late breaking story: Revealed to the world today were Hibiki Studio's plans for a new Sailor V movie involving the Sailor Senshi. This press release followed an unscheduled publicity stunt in the Juuban Ginza last night which reporters mistook for a real battle involving the Senshi. Studio officials blame a misfiled memo for the failure of the Studio to properly notify city officials of the multi million yen stunt which showcased a prototype of a new costume for Sailor V. The Studio has issued formal apologies and is paying for the repairs to the damaged buildings. The Marketing Department officer responsible for misfiling the report has been disciplined. Following these commercials, we'll bring you exclusive photos of the monster, and later, our exclusive interview with Minako Aino, Sailor V!_

0 0 0 0 0

Nabiki put down the cell phone and breathed a sigh of relief. Tao-Ching had told her it seemed the whole idea of making it seem like a publicity stunt was working. The phones to the studio and the web site had been hammered since the press release and no-one seemed to be taking it as anything else. She was glad Kasumi had all of Zhu Shu's student's numbers. It had been a flash of brilliance to talk Minako into covering for her sensei like that, and it seemed the girl had a bad case of Senshi worship. She'd been overjoyed at the whole thing and Tao-Ching had decided that actually going ahead and making the movie could be a worthwhile investment. He was even seriously considering auditioning Minako's friends to play the parts of the Senshi, and having Zhu Shu play Sailor Venus. Nabiki had to agree they certainly looked…

She looked out the kitchen window at the ruins of the dojo, where the voodoo priest, Sandal, was slowly clearing away the debris in preparation of rebuilding it, per his agreement with Nabiki for room and board, and contemplated the unfinished thought.

How had Zhu Shu been in the area to help the Senshi? Why had she risked so much to help complete strangers?

Or _were_ they?

She tabled the question while Kasumi brought out breakfast and Ranma dragged herself out of the koi pond, where she had ended up after the early morning sparring match with Genma. Akane sauntered down the steps and gave the redhead a sidelong look that Nabiki would have said was admiring if she hadn't immediately bopped Ranma in the back of the head and told her to put her shirt back on. Still, her voice sounded more affectionate than annoyed. Shan Pu came down the steps a few seconds later, yawning and stretching like a cat woken from a nap. She gave both her fiancées a lingering look and settled down between them at the table, frowning at both of them when they edged further apart.

Nabiki watched them out of the corner of her eye as she told Kasumi about how her and Tao-Ching's efforts had worked out. She noticed both Akane and Ranma start at the mention of the Juuban girls playing the part of the Senshi. Oh, yes– there was definitely something there.

She jotted down a few notes to remind her of avenues of investigation as she finished getting ready for school, hearing Kasumi greet Ke Lun as Shan Pu's great-grandmother came to pick up the Amazon to return to the village for preparations, then wandered downstairs to find Zhu Shu waiting for her at the gate to the street.

"Ni hao, Nabi-chan."

"Oh, good morning Zhu Shu. I– I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Zhu Shu know. Zhu Shu feel much better. Decide go school."

"Ah… I see. Well… I'm glad to see you up and around. I… um… kinda thought you might be out of it for a few days because of… well… um…"

"No. Zhu Shu all ok. Not even remember dying."

Nabiki blinked twice. Then even her ice princess façade broke. "Oh, god's Zhu Shu, We thought we'd lost you," she cried as she flung her arms around the small Chinese girl.

Zhu Shu patted her head. "Is okay. Zhu Shu is okay now. Zhu Shu miss family. Miss Nabiki and Kasumi and Akane and Ranma and fathers. Zhu Shu come home.

Once more in control after the brief display of affection, Nabiki self-consciously straightened her skirt. "We missed you too." Then she did a double take. "Hey, your accent's back."

Zhu Shu rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes. Accent back. No, Zhu Shu not know why."

Nabiki laughed. "I take it you've gotten that a lot."

Zhu Shu nodded. "Rei and Usagi and Minako and Ami and Makoto all feel need point out what Zhu Shu already know."

Nabiki laughed as she hooked her arm through Zhu Shu's. "Well, we better get going or there will be a mob scene when the family finds out you're here. I'd just as soon deal with that after school."

Zhu Shu laughed. "Yes, yes. Or will be late."

"Exactly."

They walked towards the school, Nabiki studying Zhu Shu sidelong, watching as she looked around and dodged the old lady throwing out water on the sidewalk. There was something different about the Chinese girl… Something faint beyond the glow of contentment she was exuding. It took her most of the walk to school to pin it down, because it wasn't something that had been added, it was the loss of something so faint and so much a part of what Zhu Shu had been that only its absence made it noticeable.

The faint bittersweet tint of melancholy was gone, and with it had gone a tenseness that had never been noticeable. For the first time since Nabiki had known her, Zhu Shu felt like a seventeen year old girl, instead of ageless…

And she was definitely more at peace with herself about something. Her eyes would every now and then lose focus and she would assume an expression that Nabiki could only interpret as fond happiness… an expression she had learned quite well recently from seeing it in the mirror so often when she thought of Tao-Ching.

Had Zhu Shu found _herself_ a new lover?

Yet something else to investigate. Nabiki could barely wait to get to school to start her minions digging…

0 0 0 0 0

Akane breathed a sigh of relief. At last she could relax. Ke Lun and Shan Pu had left for China and she didn't have to deal with the Amazon until the weekend. She'd already had to go out and smash more of the destroyed dojo into kindling about thirty or so times, reminding herself over and over that Shan Pu was _supposed_ to flirt with Ranma.

It was proving incredibly difficult.

To Ranma's credit, though, at least from Akane's viewpoint, was the fact that he seemed to have the same problem when Shan Pu flirted with her. Between the two of them, Sandal had complained that they were wrecking the dojo's foundation.

At least she wouldn't be waking up to find a nude Shan Pu curled up in bed with her tonight, and she wouldn't have to apologize to Ranma again for knocking him through the floor like she had last night when she had found Shan Pu curled up with _him_.

Well… if it hadn't been for the fact that his hand had been cupping her breast, Akane might not have been so mad.

She sighed again. The Amazon made Zhu Shu easy to understand by comparison. She could be a vicious opponent to anyone who crossed her, but once she had decided to give her heart to someone, it seemed she became an incredibly affectionate person. There were times Akane could almost swear she was purring at the least show of physical affection. She was like a damn cat!

Not that she'd ever understood cats any better, either.

She was _trying_, she really was, for Zhu Shu's sake, to get along with Shan Pu, even to try and accept her advances, but the sheer intensity of Shan Pu's emotions were a little unnerving. Zhu Shu had always been calm and reserved – even her mischievous moods had been subtle – but nothing about the Amazon could be called subtle by any definition of the word. She was an inferno when angry, an iceberg when offended, a warm fire when pleased. She let you know what she felt about everything, especially her desires. She had wanted her Ai Ren's physical affections badly, and had been disappointed at their reluctance.

Akane sighed again.

"What's up Akane?" Ranma asked from where he was walking along a fence top. "You're starting to sound like an old steam train."

She glared at him, then decided he hadn't meant it as an insult, so she shrugged. "Shan Pu."

"Oh…" He looked off across the canal.

"Ranma? How do _you_ feel about her?" Akane asked seriously.

Ranma shrugged. "I dunno really. She still makes me jump ever time I turn around and see her. I mean, I thought she was trying to kill me, and now? I mean, I want to make her happy for Zhu Shu and Mom's sake, but I just don't know how." He looked down at his feet. "She seems to be a really sweet girl when she isn't trying to kill you, but I still barely know her."

"You barely knew me until Zhu Shu came along and helped us."

Ranma sighed. "Yeah."

"Missing her?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I know she needed some time to think and all, but it's been miserable without her." He shook his head. "I hope she comes home soon."

Akane nodded.

Ranma hopped down from the fence and walked the last fifty feet to the school yard, where Kuno was waiting, bokken in hand.

"Ranma Saotome! Vile Sorcerer! Undo the enchantment thou hast lain upon mine sister!"

"Huh?" asked a genuinely confused Ranma.

"Release her from thine foul enchantment or face the wrath of Blue Thunder!"

"What are you talking about Kuno?"

"You're getting tiresome, brother dear." Kodachi's voice said behind Ranma, and he and Akane whirled to see her dressed in a Furinkan high uniform. "And on my first day too."

Ranma and Akane's jaws dropped as she stepped forward and knelt in front of Akane. "Shall I get rid of him, mistress? It would not do for you to waste time on such foolishness." The eyes she turned to Akane were so full of adoration that Akane backed up a step.

"Wretch! Villain! Release her from this curse! Release her, I command you!" He swung his bokken at Ranma, who dodged as the blow shattered the wall behind him.

Akane flinched as shrapnel pelted her, one shard cutting her cheek slightly.

"_Mistress!_" Kodachi's cry was anguished, then she turned towards Kuno in a rage. "Demon! You have wounded my beloved goddess! Feel the wrath of the Black Rose!"

Kuno, still vainly trying to hit Ranma, was caught from behind by Kodachi's ribbons and flung head first into a tree, then when he bounced, was hurled into another. "Thrice cursed brother! How dare you injure my Mistress!"

Ranma stared from his perch on the gate. Even he'd never trashed Kuno _this_ bad.

"Whoa, 'Dachi! You're gonna kill him!"

"He deserves death! He has wounded my beloved goddess!" She slammed her unconscious brother into the wall.

"Kodachi! Please stop!" Akane cried, horrified.

Kuno's battered form crashed to the ground as Kodachi bowed in front of Akane again. "Yes, my divine Mistress."

Akane took a step back, then another, then turned and ran into the school, followed by a bouncing Kodachi crying "Mistress!"

Ranma looked around at the smashed trees and wall, then down to the unconscious Kuno and shook his head. "Great, as if we didn't have enough problems already…"

0 0 0 0 0

Artemis looked out the window of Minako's room and sighed. "Anything at all that you can tell me will help, Pluto. I certainly don't seem to recall anyone like her in the Moon Kingdom." He told the tall green haired girl sitting on the bed.

"I wish I could, Artemis. But her stream is in flux. Someone or something is preventing me from actually analyzing either her future or her past. It's like I'm trying to read a thousand streams all at once. All I can say is yes, she is a Reincarnate, but I couldn't tell you for certain who."

The white cat scratched at his ear. "Best guess?"

The green hair girl shrugged. "She's got a remarkably uncanny resemblance to a young version of Song Lin Tzu, the Empress of China. Serenity considered her one of her closest friends among the royalty. She was even given an honorary position as a Senshi, Sailor Earth. She was one of the few rulers who remained allied to Serenity when Beryl convinced Endymion's father to destroy the Moon Kingdom. Mars spent over a year assigned to the Court of the Dragon as Serenity's emissary and grew quite close to her, as I recall. She was lost in the fighting during the fall."

"Empress Song?" Artemis blinked. "I had forgotten about her."

The green haired girl smiled. "Getting senile?"

Artemis turned and looked at her. "Are you aware of the girl's full name?"

"Zhu Shu? Yes. Means 'Little Mouse' in Mandarin."

"No. I mean her _full_ name. It's _Song_ Zhu Shu."

"Interesting. The Dragon Empress wasn't one of Earth's most influential rulers, but she had the distinction of being the only other female besides Beryl. She stayed loyal to Serenity when the rest of Earth betrayed their alliances. I've wondered more than once if it was because she was in love with her highness. She shared Neptune and Uranus's tastes, so she might have been. Her… um… _exuberance_ for sharing her affections was a small scandal actually. Empress Song had over a dozen wives – which was no big deal for an Emperor, but was unheard of for a Empress – and when she and several of her wives came up pregnant, well… All she would say was that the Dragon, her house's guardian deity, had come to her. Like I said, she disappeared along with all of her wives during the fall, so no-one really knows what happened to her. Her brother was one of Beryl's advisors, but he disappeared too."

The white cat looked thoughtful. "Humm… well I guess I can't ask for more than that. As for my next mystery…" A small holo of the old woman appeared. "Do you know who this is?"

Pluto looked at the holo and grew pale. She looked from the silver staff in her hand to its golden twin in the old woman's hand. "Oh my…"

"Any ideas why you, or at least a very old you, brought Sailor Saturn to heal Zhu Shu? Somehow, I have this feeling that the answer to that could be very important."

She shook her head. "That's not me, Artemis. That's my future incarnation, your currently unrevealed Pluto. And at a best guess she's from several hundred millennia in the future, far past any era I have any knowledge of. If she brought Saturn back from the future to resurrect Zhu Shu, in violation of her duties as Guardian of the Gate of Time, it could only have been because it was vitally necessary for the future that she do so. What her reasons were, I can't even begin to guess, but she had to have had two things to be able to do it. Kami-sama's permission, and the aid of the Norn of the Past. Once the absolute Now has crystallized the timestream, only the combined efforts of all three of us could rewrite the past. It's one of Kami-sama's absolute laws. He won't even let me go back and save Serenity in my present."

Artemis blinked. "I see."

"I'd say you're safer making sure Zhu Shu has as much protection as you can give her without jeopardizing the princess's mission. Whatever it is she's supposed to do, my future self would seem to be intent on making sure she'll be able to do it, but a little extra insurance never hurts."

The white cat nodded. "Usagi is all set to make her a Senshi."

Pluto nodded. "When Serenity made Lin Tzu an honorary Senshi, she did so in a small, closed ceremony without the whole court. We figured it was something she did out of friendship, so no-one seriously expected her to fight with the rest of us, but Serenity might have known something she never told us."

Artemis sighed. "Looks like I'm going to be giving the princess what she wants then. At least I think Zhu Shu is intelligent enough to use a wand wisely."

Pluto laughed. "Which is often times more than can be said of the princess. Well I must get back to help Saturn finish the Silencing. If you need me again, you know how to call." She raised her staff again and waved before fading into the timestream…

0 0 0 0 0

Urd was in a blue funk. She was setting on the steps to the shrine across from the house, her hands propping up her head. Keiichi saw her as he pulled up from college and thought seriously about ignoring her, but in the end, his kind nature won out over his good sense. He wandered over and sat down next to her.

"Hi Urd. What's up? Sake hangover again?"

Urd was so depressed she didn't even blink. "I'm a failure. I'm doomed to end up a demoness." she moped.

"You've already been a demoness Urd." Keiichi shuddered as he remembered the mechanical monstrosity Urd had tried to flatten the house with. "I'd rather not have that happen again. What's got you so depressed?"

"What else? This _wish_ I've been assigned to. I thought once I got Shan Pu together with Akane and Ranma it would be smooth sailing, but the whole mess just keeps getting more tangled. Shan Pu loves them both without question, but they both keep pushing her away and moping over Zhu Shu, who I thought would be my biggest help, but now she's become a stumbling block because while all three of them would be willing to marry her, she _won't _marry them, and to top it off, she's the Dragon's mortal child, so I can't just love potion her into it because the Ultimate Force has some destiny in mind for her that I have to try and accommodate in Shan Pu's wish that every one involved is eventually happy, but I don't know what it is, and apparently _I_ don't want me to know what it is because _I _locked myself out of my own files on her and _I've _apparently been meddling in the past, but I don't know how because _I_ haven't seen fit to tell me, so I can't make sense of any of this mess and I'm going to fail and end up as a demoness because I can't help one lousy mortal to achieve her wish!"

Keiichi tried to puzzle out what Urd had said, having caught only about half of the rapidly outpouring single sentence, but gave up and offered her a clichéd response. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"I'm _doomed._"

Keiichi frowned. He hated seeing anyone be down, even Urd. He thought for a long moment before he had a bright idea. "Hey, just figure out what the key problem is and maybe, if you solve that, the rest will be easier."

Urd snorted. "That's easy! _Me_ locking myself out of Yggdrasil's data base. Almost everything I've tried looking up to help me is encrypted on _my_ authority and I don't know what password _I_ used! None of my regular ones work! Almost everything about the past beyond about 400 years ago is encrypted, everything on Zhu Shu's past is encrypted! Hell, I only found out she was Legend's Child when she was _killed!_ How can I pass my assignment when the information I _need_ is locked up!

"I thought _Shan Pu_ was your assignment. Why so much interest in Zhu Shu?"

"Because she's the–" Urd broke off suddenly, her eyes widening at a sudden thought. "Because she's the key?" she asked wonderingly.

It couldn't be that obvious could it?

She left Keiichi staring after her as she sprinted for the TV.

In Heaven, she threw herself into the seat in front of her backup station and typed one of her previously refused requests.

/PASSWORD?/ Yggdrasil prompted.

"Z.H.U.S.H.U." she hit the key as she held her breath.

/INVALID PASSWORD/ The screen blinked at her before the query returned.

Urd sighed. She had been so sure… She stared at the screen morosely, the query blinking brightly. Then she thought of something.

"S.O.N.G.Z.H.U.S.H.U." She hit the enter key without much hope…

The massive computer hesitated for a few seconds, a pause Urd hadn't seen it do before. She started to set up in her chair…

A privacy screen snapped into existence around the terminal, blocking out the rest of the room, and Urd's mouth dropped. It was a feature Yggdrasil had used previously only when Kami-sama himself had come to use the world computer. She turned back to the console as the speakers activated and a disembodied voice began to speak.

"PASSWORD ACCEPTED. Greetings Goddess Urd. I am Project Phoenixmoon. I have been waiting for you…"

Much later, a very subdued, even slightly pale, Urd entered the kitchen of the Morisato house.

"Belldandy… I think I need your help. I– I think I'm in way over my head…"

Belldandy turned, her eyes wide. Urd, humbly asking for help? She nodded and lead Urd to the table to discuss it, surprised, but pleased at the same time. Maybe Urd was finally maturing?

On his throne in the Heavens, Kami-sama nodded approvingly. Urd was doing better… but her time wasn't unlimited… Would she succeed in time?

He prayed she would… so much hinged on it…

0 0 0 0 0

Zhu Shu stopped in surprise as she found her way blocked by a tall blonde figure. She had been heading outside for lunch and hadn't been expecting any trouble, but one look at Ai put her on guard.

"You and me need to talk, China."

"What hentai girl want? Zhu Shu hungry."

Ai gave her a leer. "Me too. That isn't what we need to talk about."

"Zhu Shu have date. No need hentai girl."

"Okay, look, I'll stop calling you China if you stop with the hentai girl, okay? This is serious."

Zhu Shu motioned to the door. "Zhu Shu hungry. Need talk, come eat with."

Ai shrugged, the motion doing interesting things to her anatomy. She followed Zhu Shu out to her favorite tree and raised an eyebrow when Zhu Shu pulled out her grill. "You don't bring a lunch?"

"Kasumi usually make. Zhu Shu not home this morning."

"Kasumi? That the name of your girlfriend?"

Zhu Shu gave her the eye. "What Ai want?"

Ai looked around and finally sat down when she could see that no one was near enough to overhear her. "Well… actually… this is kind of embarrassing."

"What?"

Ai pulled out a big picture of Sailor Venus. "Well, since you know the Sailor Senshi, could you get Venus to give me an autograph? I'm, like, totally in love with her!"

Zhu Shu blinked… then blinked again. Finally Ai snapped her fingers in front of her face and she started.

"Hey, she's hot, okay? I'd love to get her autograph, and whatever the news says, I know that was you with them the other night." Ai said defensively.

Zhu Shu giggled. "Is just last thing Zhu Shu expect."

"Well, you don't have to laugh about it." Ai growled.

"Zhu Shu not laugh at Ai. She relieved Ai not want fight. Zhu Shu much prefer Mars anyway. Very cute."

"Not half as cute as Venus!"

"Yes, yes. Have beautiful eyes."

"Yeah, but Venus has such a hot body!"

As Zhu Shu finished cooking and she and Ai kept comparing their favorite Senshi, the rest of the school looked on in surprise at the two rivals having found at least one thing in common…

0 0 0 0 0

Akane had been overjoyed that Zhu Shu had come to school and even having to dodge Kodachi all day hadn't ruined that. She had eagerly agreed when Zhu Shu had told her the Senshi were training at Rei's until the dojo was fixed, and invited her to come help still. It had been a wonderful feeling having Zhu Shu trust her as an equal while teaching the Juuban girls, though Usagi was jealous Akane had learned all of Zhu Shu's skills during their accidental chi merger. Both Zhu Shu and Akane warned her that she did _not_ want to deal with the side effects that it had caused.

After practice, Artemis and Luna called the Senshi to a meeting, and for a wonder, asked Zhu Shu and Akane to stay. Akane raised an eyebrow at being included, but was honored at the request.

After the girls checked to make sure Rei's grandfather was napping soundly and that Yuuchiriou was out on errands, they assembled in Rei's room, moving the massive manga collection around to get enough room for Zhu Shu and Akane to set on the bed. Artemis and Luna sat down in the middle of the table and looked at each other as the girls waited, looking like they were nerving themselves up to speak. Finally Luna took a deep breath.

"I know this is unusual, but as this concerns Zhu Shu and Akane as well, we figured they should be here too." She looked at Artemis, who nodded. "We– we have finally possibly found out some information on the puzzle so recently dropped into our lap by Mercury."

Zhu Shu raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Luna to talk around a subject like that.

Luna raised her eyes to Zhu Shu. "I'm afraid Zhu-chan, that we've been studying you. I do apologize, but there were several anomalies about you that even now, we're not completely sure of. Mercury, would you be so kind as to show Zhu Shu what you showed us the other night?"

Mercury nodded and pulled out her minicomputer. She tilted the small screen towards the two girls on the bed and pulled up her readout. "When we first met Zhu-chan, I took some readings of you that were very puzzling." She pointed out the relevant readings as she continued. "We were tracking some magical spikes, well, we didn't know they were magic at the time, but we figured that out later, and we found you on top of this shrine. My first readings showed you to be a normal human, but several strange things were puzzling. Since then we figured out that they were your curse and your chi, but you also possessed a trace of Silver Millennium energy too. When you woke up, I took another scan, but didn't review it for a while, and when I did, it became apparent something strange had happened. Your Millennium trace had grown much stronger. The odd thing was that Rei's magic trace had grown too."

Rei did a double blink. "It did? Why didn't you tell me?"

Ami blushed. "Um… I wasn't sure if my readings were right at first, then we had that whole fight, and today's the first day I've seen you. I talked to Makoto and Usagi, but you go to TA Academy."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I wasn't sure of my readings at first but I showed them to everyone when you and Zhu Shu went to the movie because I had taken one last scan before you went out." She called that one up. "This is the one that made me kind of worried and made me decide to talk to every one about it."

Zhu Shu tilted her head. "Worried? For Zhu Shu?"

Ami nodded, along with Makoto, Minako, and Usagi. "If you look here, you can see that somehow, your trace of Silver Millennium energy has gone off the scale. You were radiating almost as much energy as the _Ginzishou_ does. We were worried you might be a beacon to any thing that doesn't like the Senshi , and almost as soon as we found out, a massive negative energy spike started near where you and Rei were eating. We got there as fast as we could and…" she looked away, struggling to control her voice. "Anyway, after it was all over, I took one last reading. You still have as much power as you did before the fight, but somehow, it's diffused throughout your chi and the magic of your curse. You aren't a beacon anymore, but beyond that, I really don't know." She turned to Luna. "Is that what this is about? Did you find out something?"

Luna gave Artemis a look. "We think so. It's really hard to figure out why this has occurred, but as best as we can figure, Zhu Shu is a reincarnated warrior of the Earth Kingdom, as you are warriors of the Moon Kingdom. She resembles, and from what we have been able to find out, her abilities match those of one of the few rulers of the Earth who sided with the Moon during the fall." She walked to the edge of the table and bowed before continuing. "We believe you are the reincarnation of Song Lin Tzu, Daughter of the Dragon, and Empress of China during the Silver Millennium."

There were gasps of surprise around the table and a protest from Zhu Shu.

"Zhu Shu not Empress. Zhu Shu is servant of Empress! Zhu Shu is only servant!"

Luna nodded. "Whatever your bloodline, you must be the heir of Song Lin Tzu's powers. You are still young, but already you possess much of her strength and abilities."

"The Dragon…" Rei murmured, then looked up at Zhu Shu. "She called you The Dragon."

"Who?" Zhu Shu asked.

"The old woman, the one who brought the girl who healed you. She called _you_ the Dragon. And I had a vision of you, but you were older, sitting on a throne under a Dragon banner. You were wearing a gold crown and had long golden fingernails, and I heard a voice announcing me to… to the Empress."

Zhu Shu stared wide eyed until Akane laid her hand on her shoulder. "Isn't it wonderful Zhu Shu? You have royal ancestors!"

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Zhu Shu not know… Zhu Shu is servant."

Artemis stepped up. "There is more." He turned to Mercury. "Would you show us Akane's scan?"

Mercury nodded. A quick tap of her fingers on the key board showed Akane's readings. For a long moment no-one spoke as the readouts on the screen registered, then Akane looked to Artemis.

"Why do I have the strange feeling that it isn't normal for someone to have that high a level of Silver Millennium energy?"

Artemis looked her in the eye. "Because it isn't. You are a little weaker than any of the Senshi, but not by much. At best as we can figure, it's another side effect of your little accident." He sighed. "As it is, we can't just let you walk around completely unprotected." He walked over to a small bag and nosed out two items. The smaller one was a slim wand topped by a heart, which he nosed over towards Akane. "This is a communication pen. It's capable of reaching any of the Senshi and calling them for aid if you are every in danger."

Akane took the pen and looked at it with a raised eyebrow. "Great… on top of every thing else, now I have to worry about weird creatures?" She shook her head. "Well at least you aren't asking me to become a Senshi. I have enough headaches already."

Luna spoke up. "We wouldn't ask that of you Akane. We simply wish to try and keep you safe. You know too much about us, and even though we don't believe you are a reincarnated Senshi, the power you possess could be dangerous if you fell into the wrong hands."

"Why Zhu Shu pen different?" Zhu Shu asked looking at the larger wand. It was gold and the heart-shaped end bore a small circle around a cross, like the one at the base of her spine…

Luna looked at Artemis, who sighed. The black cat nodded to himself, then pushed the wand to Zhu Shu. "Luna disagrees with me on this, but this is a transformation wand. It has all of the powers of one of the Senshi wands. We are not asking you to be a Senshi, and we don't know for certain what this will do if you ever have to use it. It is a copy of the wand Queen Serenity gave to Empress Song when she was made an honorary Senshi. It is being given to you solely because you have so much Silver Millennium energy. Like Akane's, if you find yourself in danger, please use it to call the Senshi. Only in direst need should you use its other functions. You were a warrior of the Earth Kingdom, not the Moon, and we cannot predict exactly what effect a transformation may have."

"What about that vision we– Owwww…" Usagi rubbed her side where Minako's elbow had collided with her ribs sharply.

Zhu Shu raised an eyebrow. Vision? Obviously from the glares Usagi was getting from the other Senshi, it was something they didn't want to talk about. But now wasn't the time. She turned back to Artemis.

"As I was saying," the cat continued "We are giving you this only for a dire emergency."

"What say to activate?"

Artemis gave a small smile "Um… actually... it's Earth Power, Makeup. Empress Song was the only Senshi not named for a celestial body."

"Zhu Shu sees. Well, Zhu Shu keep, but likely not need. Senshi depend on wand too much."

"Most likely. The Sailor Senshi were born to fight evil, but you are not a Senshi. Were the risk of leaving you defenseless not so great, we would never have considered this."

"Zhu Shu not defenseless. But understand. Will keep for emergency."

Luna breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's pretty much what we wanted to meet about. Did you have anything you wanted to discuss about practice today?"

Zhu Shu nodded and gave out her end of class pointers. Following that, the group broke up, leaving Akane, Rei, and Zhu Shu alone at the Shrine. Before Akane could head out, Rei stopped her. "Could you help me and Zhu Shu pack her things?"

"Huh?" Akane was taken by surprise. "Where's she going?"

"Back home to your place, where else?" Rei said with a smile.

"B– but I thought…"

"Zhu Shu had enough time. Miss new family too much. Feel much better. Besides, Akane and Ranma need Zhu Shu," the Chinese girl said with grin.

"Yes." Akane gave her a relieved smile. "Immensely!"

Rei smiled. "And I can vouch for how much she misses you."

Akane smiled shyly. "Well, I'm glad you're coming home."

They crossed the hall to the room Zhu Shu was staying in and as Rei and Akane started carefully folding the few dresses Zhu Shu had brought, Zhu Shu excused herself to go and get snacks. She gave both Rei and Akane kisses on the cheek before she left…

Rei looked after her and as the door slid closed and the faint sound of Zhu Shu's footsteps faded. "She always does that."

"What?"

"Reads people's minds. Somehow she knew I wanted to talk to you alone."

Akane raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

Rei sat down in a chair by the futon. "Do you have any idea how jealous of you I am?"

Akane raised an eyebrow. "I? Make you jealous?"

Rei twisted a strand of her hair. "Yeah. I mean, you know you love Ranma, and you know you love _her_… I wish I knew for certain how I feel…"

Akane somehow controlled the overwhelming stab of jealousy. "About Zhu Shu?"

Rei nodded.

Akane sat down on the futon. "Why?"

"I– I…" Rei blushed furiously. "I know that you love her, and I know that you're getting betrothed to Shan Pu in a few days, and well…" She couldn't meet Akane's eyes. "I– I just don't know if what I feel means I'm in love with Zhu Shu too…"

Almost, her gut reaction kicked in. Her first impulse was to hammer Rei into the ground, but the side of her that considered the younger girl a best friend made her stop and think for just a millisecond, and that was all it took for the part she had gained from Zhu Shu to assert itself. Rei was her friend, and as much as she loved Zhu Shu, she was engaged to Ranma, and about to be engaged to Shan Pu, her love for Zhu Shu would never be consummated, and she wished Zhu Shu happiness. If Rei could give her that happiness, well… wasn't that what she wanted anyway?

Ahh… but those instincts were so hard to fight.

She put the giant red hammer back behind her back and gave Rei a rueful grin. "I'm sorry Rei. My jealous streak was showing."

Rei blinked twice at her, too shocked at narrowly being missed by the huge weapon. "Um… "

Akane held out her hand. "I _am_ sorry Rei. I do want Zhu Shu to be happy, and we can never be more than sisters. I– I think it would be wonderful if you could make her happy…just… _unexpected._" She gave the slim girl a rueful grin. "My gut reaction jealousy reflex kicked in before I could stop it. I really do want her to find someone who truly loves her."

Rei nodded. "Um… well… I just don't know though. I mean, she's so… so…"

"Zhu Shu." Akane finished. "I know. Believe me, Rei. When Zhu Shu and I first met, I was totally shocked to find out she liked girls. I had never even contemplated a relationship with a girl, if anything, I thought that even thinking about something like that was perverted. Then I found myself in a relationship with Ranma, and he spends half his time as a girl. It really freaked me out at first, but Zhu Shu showed me how ridiculous I was about it. She just seems to exude this aura of desirability because of what she's been trained to do, but she never consciously uses it. I mean, her aunt made her learn everything there was to know about pleasing a man on the off chance that an Emperor would desire her as a concubine, and I have all the memories of that training in my head. I studiously try to avoid thinking about it, because otherwise I'd die of blushing. But because of it, because it was drummed into her just as hard as her martial arts, she can't help but be sexy."

Rei nodded. "I know. I caught her practicing one morning and I just couldn't get her beautiful body out of my head." She curled up on herself. "Does that mean I'm really gay?"

Akane shook her head. "No. I've seen the way you look at Yuuchiriou when he's not looking, and I've listened to too many of you girl's conversation on boyfriends. At most, it means you're like me. I finally realized I like girls as much as guys, but I don't think you're anywhere near as Bi as I am. You seem to like boys too much."

"But I care _so_ much about Zhu Shu…"

"That's perfectly natural, Rei. She's one of your best friends. The only difference is that you know she likes girls instead of guys." Akane sat back. "Listen to me. I even sound like her now." Akane laughed. "Rei, you know what you need? You need to talk to my sister Kasumi. She's the absolute best big sister in the world and I'm sure she'll help you figure out how you feel."

"You don't think she'd laugh at me?"

"No… I know she won't laugh at you." Akane smiled. "And, if she helps you decide you do love Zhu Shu, and want to make her happy, then I'll do everything I can to help you too…"

Rei met her smile and for just one second, Akane saw her as Zhu Shu did, the glorious angel of fire, and Akane knew that as far as Zhu Shu was concerned, she'd never be jealous of anyone who loved her ever again…

Outside the door, quite as her namesake, Zhu Shu smiled before going to get the promised snacks…

0 0 0 0 0

Rei joined Akane and Zhu Shu on the subway ride to Nerima, Akane having invited her to dinner, and they chatted about school and the other Senshi and boy troubles, and the ride passed quickly. They arrived just as Kasumi was setting out dinner, and somehow, with the unerring sense of hers, Kasumi had made more than enough for the two extra unexpected mouths. Everyone was overjoyed that Zhu Shu was back, especially in perfect health. Nabiki even spent a part of the evening asking Rei if she thought it would be fun to play Mars in the movie Tao-Ching had set up as a cover story for the fight. Rei managed not to reveal that she really was Sailor Mars and did a decent job of playing starry eyed girl who made good.

After the delicious meal, Rei and Akane followed Zhu Shu to the family shrine, where Zhu Shu's swords still sat in their place of honor. Zhu Shu had the pair sit beside her after she had picked up her signet and kissed it before hanging it around her neck again. She closed her eyes as she prepared herself to re-link with the ancient blades. Akane watched closely, rehearsing in her mind the exercises Zhu Shu was doing to clear her chakra and channel her chi, before she reached out for the smooth wooden pommels.

A spark jumped from her hands to the hafts of the blades as a sudden surge of energy flowed through Zhu Shu. Cascades of energy flowed down the blade, delineating them in golden light. As her palms clenched around the hilts, the faint dragons carved on their blades flared into a light as bright as the sun while through all of their minds came a roar of exultation. The dragons seemed to rise above the blades and merged to form a burning yin yang symbol before exploding into an arrow of power that arced into Zhu Shu's breast. She twirled the twin blades in a fiery arc before holding them straight out before her as the energy streaming around them flared one last time and flowed back into her body.

Zhu Shu lowered the swords slowly and took a deep breath. She turned a weak grin at the two girls. "I think they're happy to see me…"


	5. Chapter 3: Reversals

Chapter Three: Reversals

Rei jumped to Zhu Shu's side, mirrored by Akane. "Are you alright?" They asked simultaneously.

Zhu Shu nodded. "Zhu Shu fine. Was just surprise. Swords never do before." She looked down at the glowing dragons etched along the blades, slowly dimming from the fiery display. "Always push chi through swords… Swords never draw."

Rei reached out to touch the slightly humming blade. "It looked like that in the vision that surrounded you when that girl was healing–"

Her fingers touched the metal and with a gasp, she found herself once more in a vision.

0 0 0 0 0

Rei stood on a high wall overlooking a sunset as the elegant flying ship descended, its wispy sails sparkling in the light of the setting sun. Like a golden dragonfly, it eased into its berth in the royal hanger. She was surprised to see that the Dragon banner was flying from the stern. It was rare to see Lin Tzu's banner on the weekly courier instead of the Moon Kingdom's. That meant it was on Imperial business rather than just running diplomatic dispatches.

More shocking was the sight of the Dragon's Guardian standing at the rail in a tunic and pants, her bladed staff covered in its travel bag. If she was aboard, that meant the empress herself was. Curious. What could have prompted Lin Tzu to travel to the Moon in secret? No-one had advised any of the Emissaries that she was out of the palace when the courier had left three days ago, indeed the Royal Physician had appeared to the court to say the empress was 'indisposed', which most of the court took to mean she'd found a new wife and was busy wooing her. Rei had frowned at the overheard comment, annoyed that so many of her fellow ambassadors made fun of Lin Tzu's many loves.

The Guardian nodded at her as the ship docked. "Greetings, Lady Phoenix. I did not expect you to meet the ship personally. A miscalculation I hope will not lead to difficulties," she said with a questioning note.

Rei shook her head. "Of course I won't tell anyone Lin Tzu was visiting Serenity, my Lady. Is she well?"

"I am quite well, my darling Phoenix. Serenity wished to see me privately and you know how state visits can be. There's no _real_ need for stealth, but gossip travels."

Rei turned to look at the Empress, who had emerged from the cabin and was smiling at her. She bowed. "I am happy to see you have come home safely, your majesty."

"Please, Lady Phoenix, can you not simply call me Lin Tzu, or at least Lady Song?"

Rei smiled. "It's a force of habit, Lady Song."

Lin Tzu laughed. "Serenity asked how you were doing as her representative, and was very pleased to hear the glowing report I gave of you."

Rei blushed. "I would be a horrible diplomat without your coaching, Lady Song. I am a warrior. These word games played by the nobles turn my stomach. I still wish I knew why you requested me for this position."

Lin Tzu's eyes sparkled. "You'll think I'm a terrible ruler if I tell you the reason, my dear," she said with an amused tone.

"I could never think that, your majesty. I have watched you rule too long to doubt that you truly strive to be an honorable and just Lord."

"Even if I said the reason I picked you was because you had pretty eyes?"

Rei blushed. She could never really be sure if Lin Tzu's flirtatious comments were serious or not, and for safety's sake tried to assume they were not. "For a court so filled with beauty, I suppose that could be a necessary quality, Lady Song. Though I would hope I had other qualities to recommend me."

Lin Tzu's Guardian laughed. "Don't let my beloved wife tease you too hard, Lady Phoenix. I influenced her decision as well. A warrior's point of view is valuable in a position where war may be decided. It is also well for you to learn the political maneuvering that takes place within the halls of power. No general should be ignorant of the games played by those who would spill their blood without a second's thought."

"You're ruining my fun again, my love." Lin Tzu laughed. "Our lovely Phoenix is doing quite well at learning to spread her wings and fly." She nodded towards the cabin. "Do come in. My overprotective darling wants me to wait here until she has summoned the rest of the guard, so you can keep me company. Besides, Serenity gave me something that I want to show you."

Rei nodded and accepted the invitation as Lin Tzu's bodyguard dispatched the ship's cabin boy off to the guard's station and took up her post at the door. Lin Tzu had a huge smile as Rei took a seat on the couch in the cabin. She waited till Rei was seated then pulled out a transformation wand, the elegant silver rod accented in red and gold, its heart shaped end-piece decorated with a gold ring around a central cross.

"Serenity wouldn't let me say no when she gave me this. I'm half convinced it's an excuse to see me in a short skirt."

"She made you a Senshi?"

"An honorary one. She claims it was simply to repay all my efforts on her behalf."

Rei nodded. "It _is_ the highest honor in the Moon Kingdom, my lady."

Lin Tzu held it up and called the transformation phrase, and Rei blushed as she was treated to the sight of the empress naked mid henshin. Then her clothes reformed into a tight Mandarin style top, with a high collar that tied closed with small golden clasps, and a seam that ran across her left breast to descend down her side to the short scarlet fuku edged in gold. It lacked the short sleeves of the other Senshi's uniforms, being entirely sleeveless, and the red and gold slippers on her feet were soft soled and lacked heels. It did have a big scarlet and gold bow attached to the base of her spine where the top and skirt joined, and the ribbons ends swept out behind her like a swallow's tail. The large gold and ebony earrings she wore were yin/yang symbols, and they offset the slightly more ornate tiara, the silhouette of twin dragon's heads meeting where their jaws gripped the blood red ruby on her brow. Her henshin had also brought out the swords Serenity had commissioned for her many years previously, the twin Song broadswords that had been forged with the _Ginzishou_ as a bond between their Kingdoms when Lin Tzu had first come to Serenity with a secret warning of danger. She twirled them, the ribbons dancing around her as she turned to show off the Sailor outfit.

"Not really my usual style, but Serenity seems to think I am in more danger here on Earth than she is. She wanted to ensure I had a means to draw upon the powers of the _Ginzishou_ should the need arise."

Rei nodded. "I can see my Queen's reasoning, Lady Song. She charged me with seeing to your safety as well. The Moon's defenses are formidable, and any assault would be seen long before it could arrive. A sneak attack on the Dragon Palace is far more likely, especially with your brother's rebels still in hiding."

Lin Tzu sighed. "That was part of the tidings as well. Xi'an Chi has been made one of Beryl's advisers. He gathers ever more political favor to himself while doing much to discredit my influence with the High King. The Empire of the Dragon has the largest standing military among the Kingdoms, so I suspect Xi'an Chi is seeking to usurp my throne to give himself an army of conquest. Beryl's influence has waxed much lately, while mine has waned. I fear he seeks to use her access to the High King to get him to replace me. I do not wish to have to rebel against the King, but I cannot allow Xi'an Chi to have the Dragon Throne. I wish the scryers could foresee this doom approaching more clearly, it would do much to help me chart my murky path."

Rei nodded. "I wish that the High King would give heed to their prophecies, but he believes Beryl's proclamations of peace and prosperity."

Lin Tzu nodded. She held out the sword in her right hand, and a golden fire burned down the blade, the etched dragon igniting into fiery life. "I swore on these swords that our alliance would stand until the last Dragon drew breath. Come what may, I will never abandon that oath. If all the kingdoms of the Earth were to rise against us, I will still defend the Kingdom of the Moon, for if the Moon falls forever into shadow all hope will die. That was the prophecy that sent me first to Serenity, and why I sought the Dragon and became his Child. Even if I should fall, so long as my heirs survive to carry this burden and bear these swords, I have bound us to this oath. The Dragon and the Moon shall face our doom together…"

0 0 0 0 0

"Rei?"

Akane was shaking her.

"Rei? Are you ok?"

"Rei-chan is alright?" came Zhu Shu's concerned voice.

Rei gasped and started, her heart pounding as she realized she was still in the Tendo's shrine instead of a ship's cabin. "I'm ok, I'm ok…"

"You just froze in mid sentence and were staring at nothing. We weren't even sure you were breathing." Akane said.

Rei nodded. "I get like that when I'm having a vision… I just… well… I wasn't trying to scry – I just touched the blade and a vision, or maybe a memory came to me. I'm fine." She shook her head, the details already fading. "I– I saw Lin Tzu again. She– she was talking to me and showing me the wand that Artemis gave you. She used it to transform and she looked just like you did when that girl healed you…" She looked around the dojo to make sure they were alone. "Like a Senshi."

Zhu Shu raised an eyebrow. "Swords are family heirloom."

Rei nodded. "The Empress said her oath would stand until the last Dragon–" she caught her breath.

"Zhu Shu _is_ last Dragon. But only until bear heir." Zhu Shu smiled. "Is interesting, but Zhu Shu not Lin Tzu. Zhu Shu only descendant of Imperial Servants."

Rei smiled. "I'm not so sure of that Zhu-chan. You look exactly like her, just a little younger."

"Zhu Shu is Zhu Shu." She stood. "And Zhu Shu want know what Senshi saw when she healed. Usagi start to mention earlier, but get hushed. Now Rei mention. What vision?"

Rei considered for a few moments then said "You were dressed in a scarlet and gold fuku, and had a dragon tiara on. The swords were surrounded by a golden fire. The vision I just had showed Lin Tzu the same way. She carried both the wand and the swords. _You _have both of them now. You _have_ to be the Empress's heir."

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Zhu Shu servant. Whatever honored Ancestors were." She put the blades behind her back.

Rei rolled her eyes. "One day I will figure out how you do that."

Zhu Shu smiled. "Think Zen."

"Oh, _that_ helps!" Rei said sarcastically.

Akane giggled. "Don't ask me. I have no idea how I do it either. If I think about it, I can't"

Rei laughed. "That's because your conscious mind interferes. It's like magic. You can't analyze it, you just do it."

The sound of Ranma and Genma involved in their after dinner practice interrupted the conversation and they wondered back into the living room. Akane whispered something to Zhu Shu, and they both smiled, then nudged Rei. "Why don't you go ask Kasumi if she'd like some help?" Akane prodded.

Rei blinked at her blankly for a few seconds before she realized what Akane was really up to – giving her an excuse to talk to Kasumi about Zhu Shu – then she smiled and nodded.

Kasumi was nearly done with the cleaning up from dinner, but she'd put a kettle on for cocoa. When Rei came into the kitchen she smiled. "Hello, Rei-chan. Did you enjoy dinner?"

"Yes. I thank you very much for allowing me to dine with you."

"You're always welcome dear. Zhu Shu is family and you're her friend."

Rei gave her a rueful grin. "That's kind of why I'm here. Akane said I might be able to talk to you."

Kasumi wiped the water off her hands and pulled two cups off the shelf. "Of course. Would you like some Cocoa, or Tea?"

Rei smiled. "I have a weakness for chocolate."

Kasumi made them both some cocoa and settled down at the small kitchen table, her skirts flaring out around her as she sat down. "So what would you like to talk about Rei-chan?"

Rei blushed, suddenly too embarrassed to speak.

"Oh my." Kasumi said. "Would it happen to be your feelings for Zhu Shu?"

Rei started. "How–"

Kasumi smiled. "Dear… it was obvious the first time I met you that you had a crush on her."

Rei blushed even brighter. "Was I _that_ obvious?"

"To me dear. Probably not to anyone else. Zhu Shu knew."

"What? She knew?"

"Yes. She didn't want to play with your feelings. She didn't want to influence your choices, since she knew you looked up to her."

Rei scowled. "I wish _I_ had known."

"Would it really have made a difference? Rei, she's your sensei, and _you_, most especially, have a case of hero worship for her, because you feel guilty about something that happened. She could have seduced you pretty easily, but she didn't want to hurt you. She really cares about all of you girls."

"Yeah… I guess I _do_ feel guilty, I mean I was the one who told the Senshi to–" She broke off as she realized what she'd said.

"Oh my… So that's the big secret Akane has been hiding and Nabiki has been trying to get you to admit to." She leaned over and patted Rei's hand. "Don't worry Rei. Akane wouldn't tell me, so she wouldn't tell anyone else, and Nabiki may have figured it out, but she wouldn't do anything to endanger you. And I won't tell a soul."

Rei sighed. "It's ok, I guess. Ranma knows too, and Shan Pu. In a way I suppose it's a relief to have someone we don't have to hide who we really are from other than each other. It's even kind of amusing that Nabiki got Hibiki Studios to cast us as ourselves."

Kasumi giggled. "Oh my! That is amusing."

"Yeah, anyway, I suppose I do feel guilty, because when Zhu Shu first showed up at Juuban ward, we found her on top of the shrine and Ami's computer said there were some weird energy readings on her."

"And Ami is?"

"Oh, Sailor Mercury, she's kind of our science expert." Rei supplied. "And Makoto's Jupiter, Minako's Venus as well as Sailor V, and Usagi's… well she's Sailor Moon."

"So you'd be Sailor Mars?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "Anyway, when she got wet and changed, I thought she had been possessed, so I started an exorcism. Zhu Shu tried to stop my spell casting, which we mistook as an attack, and we nearly killed her."

"Oh, my."

"Anyway, I took care of her and when she woke up I found out she could see auras, so it was pointless to try and hide who we were, then a day or so later, I found her practicing her kata in the nude – well actually, I was woken up by sensing an evil presence, and I found her facing a demoness. It was weird actually, because all she did was give Zhu Shu a slip of paper with an address on it and told her to say hi to Ranma's fiancée." Rei's face fell as she looked shamefacedly at Kasumi. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you about Shan Pu. Zhu Shu asked us not to."

Kasumi nodded. "It's alright, it's worked out so far."

"I feel really guilty that we didn't tell Akane." Rei said.

"She's most likely already forgiven you, dear. She does seem to have a lot of Zhu Shu's memories in her head, so I'm sure she knows." Kasumi looked thoughtful. "I have to wonder why a demon would be interested in Zhu Shu?"

Rei nodded. "I don't know, but I haven't seen her since, and I've kept a few charms handy."

Kasumi shrugged. "There has to be more to this puzzle, but I don't know where to look." She smiled at Rei. "But we were talking about _you,_ dear."

Rei blushed again. "Yeah… well… I… um…" She swallowed hard. "I spied on her kata the next morning."

"And?"

"Well, I don't know. I was, well… _aroused._" Rei admitted.

"Would it help if I told you she has that effect on me a little too?" Kasumi noted. "She can't really help it, you know. It was ingrained into her."

Rei nodded. "I suppose… I'm just so confused. She's my friend, and at the same time, I fantasize about doing other things with her… and when she's around… I feel… _special._"

"She has a knack for that."

Rei sighed. "I guess, in the end, I don't know if I want to…"

Kasumi nodded. "How old are you Rei?"

Rei blinked. "Fifteen."

"And how many boyfriends have you had?"

"Um… well… I dated Mamoru a few times, and then… well… not really anyone else."

"You haven't had much experience yet Rei. It's only natural you're confused." She reached out and held Rei's hand. "Give it time dear. Let it grow at its own pace, and see what happens. Don't fret over it like this. You will figure out how you feel without all this worry, and you don't have to fear that you will alienate Zhu Shu. I know her well enough to know she truly wants only your happiness. There's no _need_ to rush. Spend time together and enjoy yourselves because what will happen, will happen."

Rei smiled. "I suppose that's good advice… just…"

"Not what you wanted to hear. I know. I can't tell you _how_ to feel Rei – _that _is somethingyou have to figure out on your own. But what I _can_ be is someone to talk to, and I'm more than happy to be that."

Rei nodded, her eyes shining. "Akane was right about you, you know. I wish I had you as a big sister."

Kasumi smiled. "But you do, dear. For so long as you want me to be one."

A annoyed squawk from outside the kitchen window announced the arrival of Phobos and Deimos. Rei looked out at the two ravens, and smiled. "Ok, ok, I'm on my way!" She looked at Kasumi "I'm sorry, they're telling me that they're hungry and they want me to go home." She stood. "Thanks for the dinner, and the cocoa, and especially for the big sistering…"

"You're more than welcome." Kasumi said as she walked Rei to the door. "I'm here anytime, dear."

Rei smiled as she nodded and turned to head for home. She wasn't any less confused, but she felt better, and she felt secure that she had a friend who understood.

That by itself was priceless…

0 0 0 0 0

Zhu Shu looked around the room, feeling like she had truly come home. It was strange really, how much the Tendo's house felt more welcoming than her memories of her own home in her village. She hadn't minded staying at Rei's for a few days, but being back was certainly a relief.

She noted Shan Pu's rolled futon against the wall with a smile. According to Akane and Ranma, Shan Pu had been trying to win her fiancées in the straightforward manner of the cat she was. She'd more or less done the same during their travels to her. It hadn't worked, but at least it seemed to have done no harm either. She was going to have to teach her blood-sister the notion of subtlety. Kasumi had made a suggestion along those lines, and the destroyed dojo out back was the result.

That at least would be remedied by the time they came back from China. Nabiki had smiled at Tao-Ching and consented to a date after he'd offered to have the dojo rebuilt.

All, in all, she was very glad to be back… even Soun's extravagant tears at dinner rejoicing that his adopted daughter had returned had made her happy…

_Happy._

A small bubble of laughter escaped from her lips as she realized that was indeed how she felt. The stress with Akane, while it would never be gone, was livable now that they had resolved their relationship, and without Akane's feelings living in her head, she was at peace with being in the same house with her.

Even her friendship with Ranma was fine. He didn't like her refusal to marry him, but he was willing to live with it, and to try and make things work with Shan Pu… It might take him a while to learn to love the Amazon, but she was confident he eventually would.

She'd even found an unexpected ally in Nodoka Saotome. Ranma's mother seemed happy with her son's dual betrothal, and not all of her reasons seemed to deal solely with the advantages to the Saotome family the marriages would bring. Zhu Shu would almost think that Ranma's having two fiancées made Nodoka feel Ranma was incredibly manly… despite the fact that he'd seemed to be more accepting of being female half the time since Akane had seduced his female side.

Zhu Shu sat down on her futon and picked up the picture of her and Kasumi kissing on the train. So much had happened since then, and yet, so little time had passed. She sat the picture back down and leaned back against the small mountain of stuffed animals she'd collected from the various boys at Furinkan trying to date her, musing on how she might work out the tangled love lives of her friends…

_((And your own...))_

She smiled at the stray thought… it had almost sounded like Ying-Ying... She reached back to the small strand of the connection they had once shared and mentally caressed it. It was strange how much comfort that small hint of her lost love could give.

She pulled out the scepter Artemis had given her just a few hours before and stared at it for a long time. Why did it seem as if Artemis wanted her to be something more than she was? She didn't know why she seemed to have so much Silver Millennium energy, and she had no idea how to use it either. She wasn't a Senshi, or the reincarnated Empress… she was a _servant._

_(( As are all rulers… If they love their subjects…))_

She shook her head, dismissing the notion. It was simply too ridiculous. She tucked the scepter back behind her back.

A night breeze stole in through the windows, bringing with it the scents of the flowers in the garden. She stood and stretched, then stripped in preparation for bed. She stood in the window looking at the moon for long moments and marveled. For all the distance she was from her home village, the moon didn't look any different. In a week's time, it would be full, like it had been that awful night… yet for the first time in four years, she wasn't dreading the anniversary of Ying-Ying's death.

_((I am here… I am always and forever… here…))_

She lay down to sleep, touching with her mind the links to her loves and letting their warmth melt her into dreams…

0 0 0 0 0

Akane sat at her desk in her pajamas and played with the pen Luna had given her. She wished she knew why the link with Zhu Shu had changed her so much. True, most of the changes had been needed, and had made her much happier, but stuff like this scared her. She wasn't a Senshi… she wasn't a reincarnated warrior of some long forgotten kingdom and an age that history had erased – she was a teenaged girl with fiancée problems. A future husband who was also likely to be just as much a wife, an Amazon warrior who seemed just as hot to fight her as to do other things, and a school full of idiot hentai who would make her life sheer hell if they realized the full ramifications of both…

How were her girl friends going to react when they found out that she was going to be engaged to Shan Pu? How where they going to act when they found out she was going to marry another girl?

She sighed as she put the pen away. It really wouldn't have been any different than how they would have reacted if she'd actually gotten Zhu Shu to marry her. No, she had enough problems without the Senshi. She stood and stretched as she looked out at the moon. Strange to think that once, so long ago, there had been a Kingdom of Justice and Love there. She smiled as she recalled Usagi's last training session. She was such a klutz… but there really was something about her that just made you love her. Like a puppy tripping over their tail…

She started as a flash of light lit up the sky for a long moment in the direction of the Tokyo Tower. That had been a common occurrence of late. Sometimes, she would even think she saw things which were obviously impossible – a side effect of what had happened between her and Zhu Shu no doubt. So many faint tuggings in so many directions. She knew from Zhu Shu's memories she felt them too, but was so used to them, she ignored them. Maybe she would eventually too, but sometimes, it felt like a storm was brewing while the sky was completely clear.

The light faded, along with the feeling of an intangible wind blowing in that direction. It was disconcerting to say the least.

Strange thing was, she felt the same thing around Rei too… like the girl was the source of the wind she couldn't quit feel… and around Zhu Shu even more strongly.

She shook her head. It had been too long a day. She pulled the curtains closed and lay down on the bed.

Before her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

0 0 0 0 0

Ami poured over the logs on her computer yet again. It was very strange…

During the battle with the creature, the small computer had been taking readings and now that she had had time to study them, it became obvious that more had been going on that night than they had been aware of.

The fight had started late evening, accompanied by a massive surge of negative magical energy… only part of which had been centered in the creature that had attacked… they had been so busy fighting that she'd never had the chance to realize that a much larger surge had built far to the east – somewhere in the United States. Then several hours later, when they had been too exhausted for anyone to notice, the surge had moved to somewhere southwest of them, near Hong Kong, and the power levels had grown enormously, a spike of gigantic proportions that had then reached a peak and fell, leaving several smaller spikes that had died down. Much of it had been outside of her computers exact range and only detectable by its sheer strength.

Obviously, something hugely magical had happened… something that probably didn't bode well for whoever had been involved… but so far, none of it had affected Japan… or seemed directly tied to the Senshi yet.

It had been so quiet since they had defeated the Doomtree… could this be a sign something new was about to come?

She closed up the computer as she yawned. Tomorrow she had to be up early to study for a mid morning test. Hopefully, nothing more difficult would pop up.

0 0 0 0 0

The masked man stood on the balcony looking like the epitome of a Chinese sorcerer. Even Herb felt intimidated by the cold feeling the wizard seemed to exude. She looked to Lime and Mint, the pair of them looking a little downcast and jubilant at the same time. They were happy that they would be leading the little excursion to the Amazon village, but were sad they wouldn't be joining Herb in going to Japan. Still, the thought of getting to fight the Amazons – and maybe even getting to do… _other_ things – had excited them. The sorcerer had been generous in supplying men and had bolstered the few remaining troops of the Musk with well trained soldiers.

They were a far cry from Musk warriors, true, but manpower was manpower, especially against the Amazons. Herb had read too many tales of the Musk's dealings with those… _creatures_… to expect the fight to be easy, even with the magical aid the sorcerer Xi'an Chi had promised.

Still… it was a small price to pay for the means to find the _Kaisufuu_.

"Everything is in readiness Xi'an Chi," Herb said. "I leave in the morning with my escort. Mint and Lime will lead the assault on the village in two days. The flasks are all filled and waiting on the wagons. We will achieve our revenge easily."

The man turned ice cold eyes to Herb. "I pray it will be so your Highness. I have learned to never take things for granted where the Song are concerned." His voice was differential, but Herb had no doubt who really ruled the Musk for the moment. The sorcerer had been true to his word and forged the alliance, but in some ways, Herb feared she had made a grave mistake.

But one that could be remedied once she had resolved her little problem and had her full powers back. For now, she needed the manpower Xi'an Chi brought.

And Mint and Lime? Well…she would teach them a lesson when she returned… show them both what a real man was supposed to do with a harem full of women. The troops with Xi'an Chi had been quick to introduce the pair to the pleasures women offered… Herb had refrained… for now. But once this little problem was fixed…

Xi'an Chi's cold eyes lit with a faint tinge of amusement. Herb's eyes narrowed. Allowing her mind to drift was inexcusable. Still… she could get some faint hint of revenge. "I am not concerned with the Song, Xi'an Chi. The false Dragon's Child is yours to do with as you will. I am the only true Dragon's child, and I will rule all of China, if I must slaughter all who oppose me." She turned back to the throne room, her cloak swirling. "Leave me now. I must prepare for tomorrow's departure."

Xi'an Chi's eyes glittered at his dismissal, but he smiled coldly as he bowed and left, trailed by Mint and Lime. Herb stood alone in the throne room and pulled open her top to stare down at her breasts. "I will break this curse, Xi'an Chi. Then when I'm a man again, we'll see who really rules…"

0 0 0 0 0

The masked man strode out of the castle to the waiting helicopter. As he approached, a shadowy figure stepped out of the interior. He stopped and addressed the form. "Herb leaves in the morning. You know what to do."

"And the Musk?"

Xi'an Chi laughed. "They were amusing toys. Herb's two lieutenants were easy to seduce with a few spells and their own lusts. They will make an interesting experiment. It matters not whether Herb finds the _Kaisufuu_ or not, I have made her condition permanent. It will be interesting to see how she fares once returning to her friends still female. I wonder how long it will be before they make her forget she was ever male?"

A thin sliver of white was the only indication the shadowy figure was smiling. "Truly an interesting study, Master."

Xi'an Chi nodded. "I must be away to Hong Kong. Events there can not be put off for this amusement any longer. Bring me the Heir once she is caught. I have many other interesting experiments I wish to try."

"Of course, Master."

The old man turned just as he entered the black copter. "Do not fail. Or you may end up being my experiment."

The shadowy figure bowed, then seemed to fade into the dark. The rotors of the copter picked up speed and the strangely insectoid appearing craft lifted off to vanish into the night.

0 0 0 0 0

Dawn came to Nerima bright and early. Ranma woke to the faint sounds of two sets of swords chiming faintly in a pattern almost too fast to follow. He peeked out the window to see Akane and Zhu Shu practicing in the early morning light, their swords moving in intricate dances that formed hypnotic rhythms. He smiled as he realized they were up so early because neither one was dressed and the dojo had not yet been rebuilt. He tiptoed out of the room and out to the garden.

At the edge of the koi pond, he reached down into the water and splashed himself, then went around the house to the practice yard, stripping to stand on a rock by the edge of the match area and waited. After a few seconds, the blurs resolved themselves into the pair of fencers. "Yes, Ranma?" Akane asked.

The redhead bowed. "Would you care to spar?"

Zhu Shu smiled. That was something she had been hoping to happen for a while now. Ranma wouldn't fight anyone she didn't consider an equal in skill, unless attacked, and Akane had been so far below her skill level she wouldn't even consider _really_ sparring with her… but in his stubborn, macho way, he had passed it off as "I don't fight girls." thinking that Akane, independent spirit that she was, would just accept it. That she was actually asking Akane to spar was a BIG leap.

Zhu Shu stepped to the side and toweled off as the two faced each other. Akane took a stance, her swords trembling slightly. Ranma gave her a "come on" with her forward hand.

Akane blurred as she attempted to catch Ranma off guard, and her attempt to wrap her ribbons around the other girl failed. She looked down at the red-head, grinning at her as she held the ribbons taut.

"I've been watching Zhu-chan for months now, Akane. I thought I figured out how she did that. Looks like I'm right, huh."

Akane smiled. "I guess."

Akane launched herself into a spinning attack that Ranma dodged by flipping over, then blocked Ranma's return kick. Satisfied that the pair were having fun, Zhu Shu finished toweling the sweat off, then used the kettle of hot water she had brought out. She had wanted to see how the changes in her chi had affected her in both normal and cursed forms, and was vastly relived that there seemed little difference physically. Once more her normal self, she monitored the two as she performed her routine forms, admiring how beautiful they both were as they danced through attack and counter attack. She found herself thinking about how Rei had looked when she had faced the creature, and how nice her body had felt as she had pressed against her during her henshin.

She noticed what she was doing and laughed softly to herself. Daydreaming about Rei while watching Akane. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

0 0 0 0 0

Urd looked down on the three practicing from her perch in a bird's nest and worried. Things were not going they way they should.

She hadn't worried about Zhu Shu's initial refusal to Ranma, confident the mix of emotions she had gotten from Akane would drive her to him eventually, but Zhu Shu's death and the subsequent revelation that she was the Child of the Dragon had shocked her. Then Zhu Shu's resurrection by the Old Woman had added far more complications. And that damn program in Yggdrasil wasn't being forthcoming. How the damn thing knew all of her tricks… she sighed went back to observing Zhu Shu.

As far as she could tell, someone… or something, had altered Belldandy's spell on Zhu Shu. Not removed it… altered it. Belldandy was much better at spells than she, so she couldn't make out exactly what had been done, but it seemed to have removed the emotional crossover of the spell from just Zhu Shu.

That had to be the Dragon's handiwork.

She watched Ranma catch Akane's ribbon and spin her across the yard. He was like a computer when it came to learning new martial arts. She shook her head before laying back in the nest to figure out what to do next.

There was more going on here than just her test, there had to be. She was running into too many stone walls and barriers for a normal wish. The Ultimate Force itself should have overcome many of the obstacles she had encountered, yet it hadn't. Yggdrasil had so many blind or password protected files that what she had learned amounted to a small fraction of what she needed to know. She'd found enough to suspect she had gone back in time to arrange for the loophole in the Amazon laws, and evidence that she'd arranged other things, but no indication of what. And it was all so covert that she had to wonder if Kami-sama really had approved it.

It was infuriating. And if, as she suspected, the Dragon was running his own game with her test as well, it only made it worse.

What was that inscrutable overgrown lizard up to? She had never been able to figure out why Kami-sama gave Legend such respect. He wasn't part of the pantheon, but her father respected him like he did no others in Asgard. According to Phoenixmoon, until she had entered her password, only Kami-sama and the Dragon had known of its existence, yet it had given her frustratingly little hard information.

But… she couldn't shake this sense of urgency to her test, like everyone was waiting with baited breath to see if she succeeded or failed. And Mara…

The bird whose nest she had borrowed returned and scolded her out of its home as Zhu Shu, Akane, and Ranma finished up their practice and headed into the house before anyone else woke up. She hopped down and snuck into the house after them, headed for the living room and the TV. She needed to talk to Kami-sama.

0 0 0 0 0

Breakfast went normally, or at least as normally as it did at the Tendo dojo. Kasumi and Zhu Shu worked at getting breakfast on the table as Akane, Nabiki and Ranma prepared for school. Nodoka, who had come by early, took the opportunity to quiz Zhu Shu about her son and how he had behaved himself since she met him. Zhu Shu told her about the misadventures in China, and some of the problems Ranma had had in Japan with his curse. Nodoka smiled approvingly at how he had tried his best to live with it.

Ryouga wandered in about midway through the free for all with a new flower for Kasumi. She smiled at the dancing bellflower as it wavered back and forth on the table and thanked the lost boy for such an unusual gift. Ryouga blushed as he stammered it was nothing, pointedly not mentioning the thin slashes he had gotten when the plant had launched a flight of razor sharp leaves at him. Or the shocking he'd gotten when he'd dived out of the way and landed on a large yellow rat.

Akane smiled at her big sister as she accepted the dancing flower. It was getting more and more obvious everyday that Ryouga was smitten with her. Then she noticed as Kasumi gave Ryouga an extra large helping of fish cakes. Kasumi may not have made up her mind romantically, but Akane was certain she did like the lost boy.

Zhu Shu watched the exchange and wondered if she should inform Ryouga that he might want to not stammer and stutter so much around Kasumi if he really wanted to get her to like him… after all, that was one of the things about Doctor Tofu that Kasumi found so discouraging. She watched as Ryouga tried to jump up to help Kasumi clear away the table, only to step on the root of the dancing flower, get hit by a spray of leaves and fall into the koi pond. Shaking her head, she picked up her books to follow the others out as they headed for school.

Ryouga followed them out only to find himself nose to nose with a very large saber tooth cat who was having his ears scratched by Nabiki. His eyes grew very wide as the cat opened jaws bigger than he was, then he let out a loud bhweee and disappeared down the street with a dust trail.

Nabiki smacked the cat upside the head. "Behave Tao-Ching. That's your cousin! No eating him!"

The big cat gave the trail a satisfied grin and shrugged. He scratched out a few kanji symbols that spelled "Just kidding" before nudging Nabiki to mount up.

The trip to school was fairly uneventful, Zhu Shu's umbrella intercepting the splash from the little old lady watering the sidewalk, predictably diverting it onto Ranma. The red-haired girl merely shrugged philosophically and trudged on along the fence top.

At the gate, a Kuno awaited. Tatewaki was nowhere to be seen, but Kodachi was more than willing to make up for his absence…

"My Goddess! At last you have arrived! But allow me give you this token of my worship!" She knelt and handed Akane a bouquet of black roses. Akane carefully took them and aimed them at Kodachi's enraptured face. A cloud of white powder exploded into the worshipful girl's face and she flushed, a look of pure desire lighting her eyes.

Akane took off, a lustful Kodachi in hot pursuit. Zhu Shu shook her head.

"More things change, more stay same." she muttered.

0 0 0 0 0

Nabiki whistled happily as she wandered towards her homeroom, idly listening to the sounds of Kodachi pursuing Akane through the school. She had enjoyed riding to school on Tao-Ching's back as he purred and sauntered. The older Hibiki was trying his best to be charming, and she had to admit, it was working.

She took the three separate reports from her factors and glanced through them, her thoughts more on Tao-Ching than on the reports until she came to a flag.

She paid more attention to the report as she noted what her factor had wanted to call to her attention. The five girls she had been asked to look up had a penchant for missing school on the same day, despite the fact they went to three separate schools.

Nabiki flipped to one of the other reports, and quickly cross-referenced the dates. They all coincided with reported Senshi battles.

She flipped through the third and found pictures of Zhu Shu and Rei dining at the restaurant, and one of Zhu Shu taking Rei up the sides of the strip.

Sailor Mars had been the first to arrive.

She dropped the folders into the shredder she had in her locker for just such situations and nodded. She had enough proof. So what to do now?

Memories of how she felt that night, watching as Akane, Ranma and Shan Pu disappeared into the dark returned to her, and she decided that for now, she wouldn't do anything.

But if they endangered her sisters again…

Her thought was broken off as Kuno entered homeroom.

"Nabiki Tendo. I have been looking for you." a hoarse voice said from under heavy bandages.

"Kuno baby! I thought you were still in the hospital!"

"A thousand foul blows from that treacherous Saotome cannot lay Tatewaki Kuno low."

"I thought Kodachi did that to you, Kuno baby. All those head smashes must have addled your memory again."

"My fair sister hath been bespelled by that vile sorcerer. T'was he who controlled her. That is why I have sought for you. I must know how this evil enchantment may be ended."

Nabiki blinked, then did a mental shrug. Kuno would never just accept the truth. She'd tried explaining to him about Ranma before and had gotten nowhere. No matter what she said, he'd find a way to twist it into his little fantasy world

Still… this was Kuno… and she needed a little extra cash.

She motioned Kuno over to a corner, rolling her eyes as he attempted to sneak inconspicuously in a well lit and crowded room and whispered "I fear you are correct in believing Kodachi is bespelled, however, Ranma is not the source of this foul deed. I know of someone from whom I could obtain the information of whom has cast this vile spell, but I fear I lack the price he has asked."

Kuno bought it hook line and sinker. "Ah, what a vile creature this must be to desire money for such information! To stand in the way of justice for gold! Yea, though it doth offend my noble soul at the thought, I doth posses the coin with which to pay this blood price. Tell me, Nabiki Tendo, what the miscreant demands!"

"20,000 yen." Nabiki said. That should cover the cost of her new CD player and a few CDs.

Kuno grimaced. "I have not that much in cash."

Nabiki held out the card reader from her notebook. "Major credit cards accepted."

Kuno's face lit up as he pulled out a credit card and ran it through the reader.

Nabiki smiled. "Meet me at the tree after school, and I will tell you what I've learned." That should give her plenty of time to create a wild goose chase for the rich idiot.

Kuno nodded and wandered to his chair just as the bell rang…

0 0 0 0 0

"I'm telling you, I don't know what it was exactly. It's just that it was so powerful my computer could detect it from Japan, and the main surge was in Hong Kong." Ami told Makoto and Usagi for the fifth time.

Usagi poked her nose into Ami's bento, in hopes that maybe there'd be something there, having already devoured her own lunch. "So you aren't sure if it's some new enemy?" she asked, frowning at the empty box.

"I don't have enough information to figure it out either way." Ami said.

Makoto moved her bento further away as Usagi looked at it hungrily. "I wonder what it was. And if it had any connection to what happened here?"

Ami closed the small notebook computer. "I don't know. So far it hasn't repeated itself. I set the computer up to signal me if it detects a similar spike though." She looked down. "That's funny. I could have sworn I brought an apple."

Usagi quickly hid the apple core behind her back, "So, what do you think is up with Rei?" she asked to distract the smaller girl.

"Humm." Ami blinked. "I don't think anything's up with her, Usagi. She's felt responsible for Zhu Shu ever since we first met her. Her getting killed like that just upset her a lot. Now that Zhu Shu's alright, I'm sure she'll be fine soon."

"Yeah, after all, Rei gets along with Zhu Shu much better than she does the rest of us." Makoto added.

"I get along with Rei!" Usagi protested.

"Oh course you do, Usagi. That's why you two fight all the time." Makoto rolled her eyes. "Give me a break, Usagi-chan. Rei's a nice girl, and so are you, but you two get on each others nerves."

Usagi stuck out her tongue. "Say, you gonna eat those chips?"

Makoto laughed. "Well I _was_… but we can't have our illustrious leader dying of starvation, can we?"

Usagi gave her a haughty look. "Of course not."

Ami looked pensively off into space. "I can't say I blame Rei for being worried though. Zhu-sensei may have strangely high levels of Millennium energy, but she's shown no indication she has any type of Senshi powers. I'm worried something like the Doomtree might be a danger to her."

Makoto nodded. "Yeah, Usagi. We're the ones who've chosen to face those kinds of dangers. Zhu Shu may support us and teach us, but she shouldn't have to fight our battles just because she's our friend. We should have found a way to fight that creature. She shouldn't have had to sacrifice herself to save us."

Usagi blinked. "Umm… well… what do you want me to do about it?"

"We just need to keep Zhu-sensei safe." Ami said.

"So we just keep her out of Senshi stuff. That's easy." Usagi mumbled around a mouthful of potato chips.

Ami and Makoto exchanged a glance. They weren't so sure it would be _that_ easy…

0 0 0 0 0

Nabiki looked through the contents of the email again, feeling her stomach sink. She'd gotten the message just as lunch began, from a contact who had an uncle in the Yakuza, and she was less than thrilled at what her inquiry had revealed.

All in all, it was a polite response from the uncle that essentially said she shouldn't pursue the line of inquiry. The uncle would overlook the request this time because his niece had asked him too, but that he would not be so lenient next time.

However, he had answered her question even while seeming to have refused her completely. It was pretty clever actually, and had undoubtedly been done to cover himself in case his superiors intercepted the email. It's just the answer wasn't one she had wanted to hear.

The email contained the three photos she had lifted from the police database of the "muggers" that had attacked Zhu Shu and Kasumi, all three of whose bodies had been found in a dumpster halfway across Tokyo from where Zhu Shu had fought them. Added to the photos were the names of all three, and the ominous title "Tong assassin, Clan Scorpion."

The warning message the Uncle had sent told her to not make inquires as to Clan Scorpion's activities, as such inquires were as unwelcome as inquires into the "Families" business. It also included the passports for all three, showing they had come from Hong Kong… The island of Lan Tao specifically.

Needless to say, the email had not made her very happy.

A shadow fell across her, making her jump.

"Girl say Nabiki wish see Zhu Shu?"

Nabiki placed her hand on her heart, trying to make the hammering stop.

"God's, Zhu Shu, don't sneak up on people like that!"

"Zhu Shu sorry. No mean to sneak."

Nabiki patted the bench next to her. "Please sit. I have to talk to you."

The Chinese girl sat and tilted her head curiously. "What may do?"

Nabiki took a deep breath. "First, please be careful. And if you must help out Rei and the other Senshi in a fight, please DON'T change first. Your cursed form is just a little too much of a stand out to keep secret."

Zhu Shu raised an eyebrow. "So, Nabiki know."

"I figured it out, yes. I would assume Akane probably knows as well. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you were on a date with Sailor Mars, just please be careful." She took another deep breath. "Which brings me to my second problem."

Zhu Shu raised her eyebrow higher.

Nabiki looked her square in the eye. "Can you give me any reason why the Scorpion Tong would want you dead?"

Light dawned in Zhu Shu's eyes. "Clan Scorpion… That explain much Zhu Shu not understand."

"Care to enlighten me?" Nabiki prompted.

Zhu Shu looked off into space. "Zhu Shu remember Grandfather tell tales of Clan Scorpion. Long ago they war with Clan Dragon. They kill many ancestors. Grandfather's grandfather fight many time. Clan Dragon once have many enemy. Clan Scorpion, Musk Dynasty, Shadowkhan. All from old tales. Zhu Shu not know such still exist." She shook her head. "Clan Dragon barely survive enemies. Sad that enemies still see as threat. Zhu Shu is last Dragon. If no heir, Clan dies with her." She looked at Nabiki with a penetrating look, golden eyes seeming to see right through her. "_Clan Dragon_ _must_ _not die_."

Nabiki looked away, unable to meet those eyes, but when she looked back, Zhu Shu's eyes were once more their normal jade green. Nabiki swallowed hard, then decided it must have been a trick of the light.

"I don't know what Clan Scorpion wants with you Zhu-chan, but Dad thinks of you as a daughter, and well… if you tell anyone this, I'll have to strangle you, but I care about you like a sister. I'll see what else I can find out. All I know now is that the three you dealt with were from Hong Kong."

"Nabiki should not endanger self for Zhu Shu."

Nabiki laughed. "I won't. I have too much respect for an intact skin to put myself in harm's way." She closed the notebook, and looked down at her unopened bento. "Well, I guess I should eat. Care to join me for lunch?"

Zhu Shu eyed the boxed lunch and reached behind her back to pull out her small grill. "Only if let Zhu Shu cook…"

Nabiki handed her the bento. "You're on. Kasumi's a great cook, but it tastes so much better hot."

0 0 0 0 0

Urd was diffident as she walked up the carpet to stand on the balcony under the Throne. Being before her father tended to make everyone but her half-brother Thor humble.

"I cannot give you the answers you seek, Urd." Kami-sama said before she had a chance to ask. "You must find them on your own, daughter. Those are the conditions of the test."

"B– but Sir! Every time I turn around this test grows harder! This one wish has escalated into a web of conditions and entanglements that one goddess simply can't handle!"

"I have faith in you Urd." Kami-sama said simply.

"But how can I pass this test when I don't even _understand_ it anymore? The Ultimate Force seems to have suspended itself, and everywhere I turn I find things I had once thought true are but misdirection and lies. I am the Goddess of the Past, yet history itself has been denied me! How can I do anything if the truth is hidden from me? Why all the smoke and fog? You tell me to grant Shan Pu's wish, yet the fact that her blood-sister was the Dragon's Child was hidden from me. My own records have been sealed against me by myself from the future, and my efforts have been undermined. How can anyone be expected to succeed a test like this?"

"You must Urd. The conditions for this test were set before you were born, and they are fair, though that may not seem true to you. You are the only one who may resolve this challenge. I cannot aid you."

"Why me?"

A chill laughter echoed through the throne room, sending a shiver through Urd's spine. "Because _that _is what was agreed upon, _Daughter_."

Urd turned as a tall, beautiful woman with almost glowing golden skin and white hair stepped onto the balcony. A cold aura surrounded her and the jet black stars on her cheeks and forehead looked like bottomless abysses against her bronze skin.

Only one demon was allowed in Kami-sama presence, and she had just called Urd her daughter. The words echoed over and over in her head, and no matter how much she wanted to deny them, she knew they were true.

"Hild." Kami-sama acknowledged. "You are forbidden to interfere in Urd's test, either."

Chill laughter echoed once again. "Interfere? I? I'm merely here to make sure that your 'Fatherly love' doesn't cause you to overstep."

Kami-sama's blue eye fixed the goddess of death with a penetrating stare. "Be careful, Hild. The test is not finished. The decision has not yet been made." He said ominously. "I yet abide by my oath."

The tall woman walked around Urd, giving her a look like a snake sizing up a mouse. "Yes…" She stopped in front of Urd. "I was _so_ disappointed, daughter, when you chose to side with these _pitiful_ do-gooders. I so looked forward to educating you on how to be a proper demon." She smiled, her teeth showing at the corners of her mouth. "Well, I'm sure I'll have you under my wing soon enough." She laughed as Urd finally broke and ran…

0 0 0 0 0

Nabiki sat beneath her tree at the end of the day, waiting for Kuno. She had worried all afternoon about what to tell him, and had finally settled on a story which would keep him busy, and maybe, just maybe, protect Zhu Shu and Akane from his romantic attentions – at least for awhile – while still allowing her to capitalize on his obsession.

Predictably, Kuno contrived to arrive with the sun behind him. "Nabiki Tendo. I have come as promised to hear thy tidings. Pray tell me the name of this vile sorcerer who hath enchanted mine sister, and how this foul spell may be broken."

Nabiki stood and played to Kuno's sense of drama by clasping her hands before her and mimicking his speech. "Oh, Kuno. I have indeed tidings of a most dire nature, and I fear for you should you seek to act on that which I shall tell you. This enchantment is indeed the work of a most _vile_ and _evil_ wizard. This hideous beast is an ancient and wicked man who has destroyed many lives for his twisted amusement, yet I fear his bewitchment of your sister is but the first step of a plot against _you_, oh noble samurai."

Kuno was mesmerized. "Against I? Why would– Nay! Am I not Blue Thunder? Am I not the finest swordsman in all Japan? He must know he wouldst need to best me ere his foul plots could succeed!"

Nabiki managed to keep a straight face. "Indeed, for you are to be the champion of the one he doth desire to posses above all others. 'T'was for _her_ sake that you have received the enmity of this wizard, and your fair sister hath been bewitched!"

Kuno stood straight and tall, his conception of a noble samurai receiving his quest. "Tell me, fair Nabiki, who is this wondrous maiden who is threatened. I must hurry to her forthwith to offer her the protection of my sword, and to smite her foes!"

Oops… better nip _that_ in the bud. "Nay! If you reveal to her your mission, it will surely fail, and you shall gain naught. You must be her _secret_ defender. You must watch o'er her and bide your time until the sorcerer grows bold enough to reveal himself, believing you to be no longer a threat, then you must strike without mercy!"

Kuno's eyes shone with righteous enthusiasm. "I shall! But name to me this wondrous maiden who doth so need my sword arm!"

"'Tis Zhu Shu, thy classmate."

"My fair Chinese goddess! Ah what vileness must rest within this fiend's heart that he would threaten such pure and wondrous beauty!"

Nabiki avoided the laugh that wanted to erupt. "Aye! And if you would protect her, you _must_ pretend to have no interest, for if the sorcerer does see you vie for her hand, he will never reveal himself. Nor must you show your love for my sister Akane, or he will surely try to use your heart against you!" There. That should handle two birds with one stone.

Kuno wept. "Verily, 'twill be the hardest task I have ever set myself, yet for their sake, and the sake of the love I bear them, I shall!"

"You must, or all is lost, for only with the defeat of this sorcerer will the spell o'er your sister be weakened enough to allow the cure to be applied."

"Thou hast news of that as well? Tell me!"

"Only the kiss of her one true love will break the spell that binds her, and that only once the sorcerer has been laid low."

"Kodachi has kissed many boys, and she loves each with all her heart. 'Twill be an easy spell to break." Kuno stated with a nod.

"Nay. It must be the kiss of one who doth truly love _her_."

Kuno paled. "Oh, how cruel are the fates, that my sister must forever suffer this vile curse! Yet even I cannot go against the will of the Gods! I must acknowledge the cruel fact that my sister shall never be free, yet for this, the foul villain will pay most dearly!"

Nabiki blinked. "You're just giving up on her?"

Kuno lowered his eyes from heaven to look at her. "Nabiki, thou knowest not my sister."

To that, Nabiki had no answer.

0 0 0 0 0

Mara could feel the situation slipping out of her control.

She hadn't rested all week, not since the night of Zhu Shu's death and revival. Learning that Zhu Shu was Legend's Child had been her first sign of the disaster she'd created for herself. The Dragon wasn't bound to the doublet system that held between Asgard and Nifelheim. She'd expected at any time to turn around and see the jaws of the Dragon closing on her for causing Zhu Shu's death. She still did.

But she was still alive. Only her carefully woven plots were dying, but not quickly enough. Xi'an Chi was ignoring all her attempts to call off the attack in China, Herb had been shielded against her scrying and she had barely escaped the abomination the old wizard had left in charge in China when she had attempted to call it off in person. Somehow, she had grievously underestimated the powers of the wizard, and had found herself powerless to defend herself against the shadow beast that had spouted an endless stream of rock and roll music.

Fool she was, but she now knew why the wizard wanted the _Dragon's_ Heir.

So she sat and watched as her carefully engineered plans unraveled themselves, knowing she was doomed.

What had she been thinking? She had never been so vicious, so… _driven._

If only Urd hadn't…

The footstep was faint, but in her present state of paranoia, Mara reacted. She spun, energy balls ready to blast the intruder, when black lightning hurled her against the wall and pinned her there. Through eyes barely able to see from the agony, Mara watched as Hild sauntered up to her and allowed the lightning streaming from her hand to cease. Mara fell to the ground in a heap, gasping for air as she vainly tried to move. A hand wrapped itself in her hair and drew her up to dangle a foot off the ground.

"Mara, Mara, Mara. What _ever_ am I to do with you?"

"M - mistress?" Mara's whisper was agonized.

"Here you are, a Demon First Class, Unlimited, and you can't even handle the foiling of one goddess on probation? And to find out you tried to stop one of your own plots? Are you trying to stop Armageddon?" A casual flick tossed Mara against the wall again.

Mara tried to breathe. "B– but the D– Dragon…"

"What care _I_ for the plans of the Dragon? He is old and feeble and senile. So his child is part of the All-Father's game. I care not! I have been content to let you play with my daughter so far, but she is succeeding! I will not have that, Mara! Urd must fail this test or all I have worked for these millennia will be for naught! I have planned for Ragnarok for too long to allow your ineptness to ruin everything!"

The lightning bolt that erupted from her hand flung Mara against the wall spread eagled as slivers of wood wrenched free from the floor and speared through her wrists. Mara screamed.

"I had such _hope_ for you, Mara. Your anger after the Fenrir affair was _perfect_, all it needed was a little push to make it an obsession. But all you have done is _fail!_" Hild stepped up to her and ripped open her blouse, making Mara scream again as she was pulled against the spears in her wrists. Blood trickled down from where she'd bitten her lip, making a trail that Hild's fingernail traced down her breast bone. Then, she set her nails over Mara's heart, the points drawing blood.

"One last chance, Mara. If I am forced to return, I will rip out your heart. That would be a pity, since you once showed such promise." Hild kissed her as her nails dug deeper, then she released the barely conscious demoness.

"My daughter must not complete her test if Ragnarok is to come. Succeed, and I will give her to you as you desire. Fail me again…" She left the threat hanging as she turned away and faded into the shadows beyond the door.

Mara let out a sob when her mistress had gone, and in a miserable whisper said to the air. "Forgive me, Urd. I never desired Ragnarok…" She closed her eyes and tried to believe the damage Hild had done her was fatal as she cried.

It had been a game. She had always been a rival with Urd in school, as well as best friends, but she was a demon, and Urd had chosen to be a goddess. She had felt betrayed by that choice, and had done everything she could to foil the three sisters, short of anything that would actually _hurt_ them… despite it all, they were still her childhood friends…

Even after Urd had been possessed by the Master of Terror, freed by Mara's own hand, she had tried to keep the destruction down, until Urd had ordered her to give all her energy to Fenrir. Now she could see how Hild had taken her anger and used it to drive her crazy…

But she didn't want the world to end, she just wanted her friend back…

Hild had hurt her just enough to ensure obedience. Mara could free herself from the wall, at the cost of enormous pain, and Hild knew once she had, she would be broken, willing to do whatever it took to avoid a repeat lesson. Only death would free her from Hild's leash.

She would be forced to destroy the only person she had ever…

A golden light poured into the room and Mara opened her eyes. Salvation had come.

She laughed as the Dragon opened his jaws.


	6. Chapter 4: The Storm

Chapter Four: The Storm

Akane woke at dawn after a night of sleeplessness. She'd _tried_ to rest, but worry over today's events had insured that sleep had eluded her.

It wasn't that she particularly _dreaded_ the betrothal, or even Shan Pu, but it was still a step in her life she wasn't sure she was ready for. She'd just started to admit to herself that that she was bi, and now, not a week later, she was to be engaged to another girl… a real girl, one who stayed female full time.

The people at school had freaked out enough when they found out she was engaged to Ranma. Most of them still had no clue that he was the red-head Kuno kept chasing, or that she wasn't fighting with Ranma as much as she used to. But she had no idea how she'd hide her betrothal to Shan Pu. Ke Lun had already enrolled her in Furinkan, and once this betrothal was finished, Shan Pu would be moving to Japan with her.

All of which meant that the very direct Amazon would make it impossible for her to hide the betrothal anyway.

What would Yuka and Sayuri, her best friends at school, say?

And if that wasn't enough, she had the Senshi to deal with. She was going to have a few words with them when she got back. They should have known telling Zhu Shu about those sensor readings would get her curious. Zhu Shu had come home from shopping with the Juuban girls last night and told her she was going to Hong Kong after the betrothal, so she had one more thing to worry about… (See Curse of the Banshee for details)

Finally, giving up on sleep, she stood and stripped off her pajamas to do a few warm up kata. She watched herself in the mirror as she did the forms, noting how much her body had changed since she had started the exercises. She'd always thought she was nice enough looking, but the stretches and forms she was now doing every day had started smoothing out some of her curves. Her hips and stomach were becoming more defined and the muscles on her arms looked softer somehow, though she knew from her workouts that she hadn't gotten weaker. Zhu Shu had told her that the further a muscle could stretch, the stronger it was, and that she did not have to be bulky to be strong. It looked like she'd been right.

She fingered her long braid, making the small bells chime softly, then sat in front of the mirror and concentrated. A long golden claw of chi sprang from her finger, and she began the morning ritual Zhu Shu had told her to do to practice control. She only nicked herself twice, neither of them in a tender spot, and was proud of the fact that she was getting better at things which took fine motor control. She was still clumsy at times, but she was getting better.

She rubbed a little more salve into the almost faded bruise she'd picked up in practice yesterday, then stood and put on her robe. She slipped out of her room quietly and went down stairs to gently knock on Ranma's door.

The door slid open a few seconds later to a yawning Ranma. "Wassup?" he murmured.

"I can't sleep. Will you work out with me?"

He blinked, then smiled. "Yeah. Sure. Let me get changed."

A minute later, the now red-headed girl came out in her own robe. "Man, I'll be glad when the dojo is rebuilt." she muttered.

Akane gave her a sidelong glance as they went out the side door. "What's this? _You_ being _modest?_"

They both laughed softly as they entered the garden.

0 0 0 0 0

Kasumi looked out the kitchen window at the faint sound of laughter. She'd gotten up early to make a lunch to take along on the long ride to China, and wasn't expecting anyone up for another hour.

Surprisingly, it was Akane and Ranma. They waved to her as Akane put her finger to her lips in a hush. Kasumi waved back and went back to her packing. When she looked out several minutes later, the two girls had shed the robes and Akane was showing Ranma one of the forms she'd learned from Zhu Shu. Kasumi smiled. It was so encouraging to see them both working on something together, even if it was martial arts.

A movement behind her caught her eye, and she looked to see Zhu Shu smiling out at the pair too. It was good to see the Chinese girl smile like that, though it was a bit wistful. She handed the girl a cup of tea as Zhu Shu yawned and began making breakfast.

Kasumi smiled to herself. This morning was starting off on such wonderful note!

Pity, really, she had no way of knowing what the future held…

0 0 0 0 0

Some distance away from the Tendo household, Tatewaki Kuno was also awake. He paced back and forth as he listened to what the house ninja, Sasuke was telling him.

"They are both to go to China today with Tao-Ching Hibiki. I double checked the airport and the Hibiki pilot has filed a flight plan to someplace called Joketsuzoku. Listed passengers include..." the small ninja checked his notes. "…the both of them, Akane's family, and the Saotomes. They leave in just a few hours."

"What deviltry is this?" Kuno muttered. "No sooner do I learn of this sorcerous threat to my goddess, then do both she and the beauteous Akane depart for barbaric lands? And with the foul Saotome as well." He turned to the small man. "Have you discovered the reason my loves are descending into such peril?"

Sasuke blushed. "Ummm… sir… It seems Akane must attend a betrothal ceremony."

"Ah. Well I suppose family obligations must be met. Which of her family is to be betrothed?"

Sasuke had hoped he wouldn't ask that question. "Um… She is, Master Kuno."

"What! My fair Akane is to be betrothed! Never!"

Sasuke landed on the far side of the room from the destroyed wall, making a note to repair it later. "But Master, she is already betrothed to Ranma Saotome!"

"That is but some trick, some treachery on the part of the villainous Saotome. Name to me the wretch she is to be forced by her vile family to betroth, that I might smite him and free her from this foul bondage."

Sasuke mentally despaired over the repairs he was going to have to make to the room after Tatewaki's careless swipes of his bokken and answered. "To an Amazon. One Shan Pu."

"To a _female?_" Kuno asked, his eyes wide.

"Yes Master Kuno."

Kuno placed his hand dramatically to his forehead. "Oh the vileness of this unnamed Sorcerer, to have condemned both my sister and my love to such a hideous curse! But despair not, my divine Akane, I, Tatewaki Kuno, shall guard thee in this terrible time, and once I have slain this cowardly wizard, I shall be there to grant thee the Kiss of True Love that will break this evil spell!" He turned to Sasuke. "Prepare the jet! I must away to the shrine to retrieve the sacred sword of the Kuno's!"

"But Master, the Mistress has already departed in the jet."

"Kodachi has taken the jet?"

"Yes Master, She has already departed for the airfield. She is leaving for Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong? Why is she going to Hong Kong?"

"She said something about hunting a Chinese Demon, to free her beloved Mistress from a Curse."

Kuno laughed. "Ah, what a supreme jest! She seeks to free Akane from the self same Curse, yet she has departed on a wild goose chase! The gods have smiled upon me! I shall free Akane, and in her overwhelming gratitude, she shall date with me!"

The Kuno mansion rang with its Master's laughter…

0 0 0 0 0

The actual trip to China was pretty uneventful. Nodoka and Kasumi had most everyone prepared before the vans that took them to the air field arrived, and Tao-Ching's executive helicopter turned out to be a tilt rotor airplane with a comfortable cabin, the six alternating rows of seats facing each other like those on a train with private cabins. Ranma and Akane spent most of the trip looking out the windows, too uncomfortable in front of parental figures to talk.

Zhu Shu spent most of the trip in meditation, disliking the shuddering and shaking of the flying machine. She had gradually become used to the glaring lights and the cars and the constant noise of the Japanese cities, but she hated not being able to feel the energy flows of the Earth through the metal walls of the aircraft.

Still, being cut off from the outside made it easier to focus within…

She lost all sense of time as she explored along the links inside her head. Akane was easy to trace, the connection shining and strong in the absence of external distractions, and it was easy to tell she was worried, but most of it didn't seem to center around Ranma or Shan Pu. Her link to Shan Pu was also bright, if weaker than the one with Akane. She could feel her blood-sister as she dreamed, and then her happiness when she awoke and knew Akane and Ranma were on their way.

But it was still the small remnant of her link to Ying-Ying that drew her attention back over and over, the way a missing tooth would draw the tongue.

The strangest part was that it seemed to be growing stronger as she toyed with it, and the farther she tried to trace along it, the stronger the faint sense of Ying-Ying's presence became. It was already far less tenuous than it had been when she had first discovered that it had survived.

_((I am here, beloved… Always and forever… I am here.))_

Their arrival at the village broke her meditations finally and they all piled out of the tilt-wing into the early afternoon sun on a field just outside of the Amazon village. Ke Lun stood at the edge of the field with an escort of two young Amazon warriors, one with red hair, one with green. They fidgeted as Ke Lun stood completely still on her stick, her hair blowing wildly in the downdraft from the still turning rotors.

Soun, carefully coached by Tao-Ching, advanced to give the ritual greetings and acknowledgement of why they had come. He was still unsure of exactly how he felt about all this, but Tao-Ching and Nodoka had both explained to him the advantages to his family if he didn't object, and Akane had asked him not to as well. It was what she said she wanted.

As the greetings concluded, the sound of a second helicopter rose above the falling sound of the slowing rotors, and they turned to see a chopper with the Kuno family emblem landing. The wheels touched down and Kuno stepped forth. He struck a dramatic pose and said something that was lost in the roar of the rotor wash as he pulled a gleaming silver sword and lifted it in salute…

The blade intersected the path of the turning rotor and there was a flash as the blade sheared through the spinning prop. The end spun away to embed in a tree as a howl rose from the unbalanced rotor. Sasuke dove out of the chopper, followed by the pilot as the main shaft snapped and the still-spinning prop plowed into the cockpit. As Kuno replaced his sword in its sheath, the chopper exploded, creating a dramatic backdrop as he began to walk towards them.

"Well, there goes the idea of sending him home." Tao-Ching muttered.

"Who is this madman?" Ke Lun asked in Chinese. "Should we slay him and put him out of his misery?"

"He is harmless, mostly, Great-grandmother." Zhu Shu replied, also in Chinese. "He is simply a fool who believes he loves every woman, and that therefore every woman must love him. If he gets annoying, simply knock him unconscious. He has a marvelous constitution and seems to take little damage from multiple head blows."

Ke Lun watched Kuno get up from were Akane had kicked him when he'd tried to glomp her and nodded. "So I see."

Tao-Ching glowered. "I'd better go make sure he stays out of trouble." He headed for Tatewaki at a determined pace.

Zhu Shu and Ke Lun looked after him and nodded. "That would be wise." Ke Lun said, noting the appraising looks her two escorts were giving the swordsman…

0 0 0 0 0

Shan Pu was waiting at the village gate, and waved enthusiastically at the party. Ranma and Akane looked a little nervous, but it was Zhu Shu the kawaii Amazon hugged first as they entered.

"I'm so happy you came!" she said in Chinese. "I missed you so much."

Zhu Shu smiled. "I've missed you as well. I'm sorry I missed your other betrothal. I– I needed to work some things out for myself."

Shan Pu searched her eyes. "You are still welcome to join as a sister-wife. I have seen Akane's feelings and yours. I _wish_ you would accept."

Zhu Shu shook her head. "No, Shan Pu. I have a different destiny. Do not fear for me, sister. I am more at peace than I have been in years. This happiness is for you, though I fear you still have much to do before it rests secure."

Shan Pu grinned mischievously as she switched to Japanese. "So go best two for three, Akane is prize?"

Zhu Shu swatted her on the rump as Akane's eyes grew huge. Shan Pu eeped, then giggled. "Is only kidding." She turned smiling eyes at Akane and Ranma. "Fiancées win Shan Pu fairly." She hooked an arm to either of them. "Now Shan Pu proudest warrior in village. Come! Must show off!"

Zhu Shu smiled as the Amazon dragged the two off to see her village.

"You seem different, child."

Zhu Shu turned to see Ke Lun looking off at the threesome. "Yes, Great-grandmother."

Ke Lun met her gaze for a long moment, searching. "The shadows behind your eyes are no longer as heavy, Great-granddaughter. Have you then at last laid aside your grief?"

Zhu Shu's eyes widened.

Ke Lun smiled. "Your grandfather and I have spoken about you at great length, child. I know about Fei Ying-Ying. I know you have mourned her all these years. I understand your grief, Little Mouse, and I sympathize. I am saddened by what occurred. Perhaps if Clan Dragon had not secluded itself so well, if we had tried harder to… The Amazons view such things differently. Had you been allowed to sister-wife Ying-Ying, perhaps your present quest would not be such a burden."

Zhu Shu looked away. "I– I cannot say, Great-grandmother. I do wish she were still here, and yet… in a strange way, I have begun to feel as if she still is."

_((I am always and forever… Here…))_

Ke Lun smiled. "Our loved ones are always with us in our memories."

Zhu Shu shook her head. "This is different, Great-grandmother. As I am linked by blood and chi to Shan Pu and Akane, my link to Ying-Ying remains as well."

Ke Lun raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. We will have to look into that sometime. For now, we must make ready for the betrothal and our grand celebration." She nodded towards where many people bustled around the central square. Zhu Shu nodded and they walked towards the celebration.

"Yes. Then I must prepare to depart."

"So soon, child?" Ke Lun raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I– I need to investigate something."

Ke Lun stopped, forcing her to stop and turn. "You are trying to avoid saying something, child. Tell me." There was no refusing the command in her voice.

"I– I must go to Hong Kong. It seems that old enemies still lurk for Clan Dragon."

"Elaborate, Zhu Shu." Ke Lun's eyes bored into her.

"Assassins from Clan Scorpion sought to slay me in Japan. I have found they came from Lan Tao. Also, there have been… other signs… that Clan Scorpion may be there. I must go to learn what I may, and perhaps end this threat." She avoided telling Ke Lun about the strange negative energy readings Ami's computer had detected, knowing Ke Lun would have wanted answers she wouldn't give.

Ke Lun shook her head. "No, Child. You should not. We have had reports from a sister in Lan Tao that there are mysterious happenings there recently, and soon, the festival of the Crying Goddess shall occur. It is too dangerous."

"I _must_ go, Great-grandmother. I have made a promise."

Ke Lun sighed. "Very well. I cannot force you to break a promise. I will inform Har Spra to expect you." She fixed Zhu Shu with a glare. "And you _will_ report to her, Zhu Shu. She will give you much information that will help you on Lan Tao. And I will have your promise to do no more than scout. You will not endanger yourself, is that clear?"

Zhu Shu knew better than to fight that, she'd won her point. "Yes, Great-grandmother."

Silently, the two continued into the square…

0 0 0 0 0

By the time of the ceremonies a few hours later, the weather had taken a turn for the worse, clouds building as the afternoon sun crossed the sky. Zhu Shu brought out one of her umbrellas as it looked more and more like a shower was inevitable. Luckily, the only part of the celebration not under shelter was the actual ceremony, which would occur on the ancient dais in the center of the village.

Ranma looked at the crowd of witnesses filling the square from under one of the pavilions and muttered. "Nobody made this much fuss over _my_ betrothal to Shan Pu."

"It's a small village, son-in-law." Ke Lun said from behind him. "We don't get many excuses to party, so we make up for it when we can." She cackled. "Just wait until your double wedding."

Ranma scratched his head. "Uh, yeah…" He looked around the square until he saw his dad, setting under a pavilion on the far side of the square with the other males. He wandered over to find that Tao-Ching was keeping him, Soun and Kuno occupied with stories and plenty of the Amazons' sake. He offered Ranma a cup, but was turned down. Ranma hated anything that dulled his edge.

Nodoka was sitting with Kasumi and Nabiki in the row of seats the Amazons had reserved for the females in front of the dais. As Ke Lun joined them, the Loremaster ascended the three steps to the dais and called the square to attention.

"For three thousand years, the Amazon tribe has held to its traditions and laws, and we have survived." She began in Chinese. "Today we are met to celebrate the following of the law. Shan Pu, daughter of Par Fume, Champion of the Joketsuzoku tribe, has been defeated by an outlander. By the laws of the tribe, she has tracked down the one who defeated her, and betrothed him. She has also met and been defeated by the other fiancée, and has chosen Love over Death. Today, we celebrate the betrothal of Shan Pu and her sister-wife, Akane, of Clan Tendo. Let the brides come forward."

From the huts to either side, Shan Pu and Akane stepped forth. Shan Pu wore an ornate form of the normal Amazon battle dress, and Akane was dressed in a white qipao, a gift from Shan Pu. Both had flowers in their hair, Shan Pu's odango wreathed in small white blossoms, while Akane's braid bore delicate lavender blooms. Zhu Shu walked behind them both in a red qipao bearing a gold dragon spiraling around the skirt, also a gift from Shan Pu. The three arrived and knelt at the dais to a rumble of thunder.

"For a joining of one heart and one mind, two must learn to love or all is doomed to misery. Shan Pu, daughter of Par Fume, Champion of the Joketsuzoku, do you come to join in Sistership or Love?"

Shan Pu beamed. "Both, Revered Loremaster. I have been bested honorably, and I have surrendered my heart to my conqueror. I seek this joining for love, and for sistership with the fiancée of the man who has conquered me as well. With me is my blood-sister, witness to the surrender of my heart."

The Loremaster turned to Zhu Shu. "Song Zhu Shu, daughter of Song Fa, Child of the Dragon. You have been called as witness. How speak you?"

"I stand as witness to my blood-sister's love, and her surrender." Zhu Shu said formally.

Finally, the Loremaster turned to Akane. "Akane Tendo, Child of House Tendo. You come as an outsider. Our Champion surrenders her heart to you for love, and seeks you as both sister-wife and sister-mate, how speak you?"

For a long moment, Akane said nothing, and the silence grew oppressive, then she spoke. "I accept Shan Pu's declaration of love. I cannot say that I love her in return yet, but for the love she bears me, and the love she bears Ranma, and the love I bear for him as well, I accept. I hope that time will allow me to learn to love her as she does me."

The Loremaster smiled as approval noises came from the crowd. "Fairly spoken child, and from the heart. Shan Pu, Daughter of Par Fume. Rise and stand. Akane Tendo. Rise and stand. From this day forward, you are pledged to one another, as sister-wives and sister-mates. May fortune and happiness await." She struck her staff three times against the dais as she cried. "Heard and witnessed!"

The Amazons cheered loudly just as the rain began to fall.

Zhu Shu's umbrella snapped open to cover herself and Shan Pu before the first raindrops hit. She turned to invite Akane under it as well, but instead froze in horror as, with the first droplets touch, Akane vanished, her gown collapsing inward on vacant air.

She and Shan Pu screamed Akane's name simultaneously, then dodged the Loremaster's staff as it fell forward. With horrified eyes, Zhu Shu saw that everyone in the square who had been touched by the rain had disappeared, leaving only clothes behind…

The rain ended as abruptly as it had started as from all around the square horrified cries arose.

Shan Pu knelt, weeping to touch the dress as Ranma charged towards the dais from the pavilion. Before Shan Pu's hand touched the dress, a movement began, and a pink rabbit emerged from the neck of Akane's gown. Large frightened eyes stared at Shan Pu and Zhu Shu.

"A– Akane?" Shan Pu's question was a strangled whisper.

The pink bunny nodded, long ears trembling.

Ranma arrived to see the bunny and bolted off again. Genma and Soun sat in the front rows holding small bundles of fur to their chests and weeping. Amazons stared in wonder as rabbits began climbing out of piles of clothing.

Ranma reappeared with a kettle of hot water. "I thought you had to fall into a spring to get cursed," he said with a smile holding up the steaming kettle. "Now you get to learn how it feels too. My fiancée, the rabbit." Water poured down on the glaring rabbit.

But Akane didn't change.

An old rabbit hopped next to Akane and scratched out ideograms in the dirt. Zhu Shu leaned over to read them.

"The _Chisuitton_?" She looked at Ranma. "She say magic rain. Cursed water." She looked back to the rabbit. "Why water no change?"

The rabbit pointed to the first symbol and scratched out more ideograms.

"She say _Chisuitton_ lock curse. No can change!" Zhu Shu raised horrified eyes to Shan Pu and Ranma as a commotion began by the village gates. Warning horns sounded across the village as warriors dropped the rabbits they had been collecting and ran.

Shan Pu looked desperately at Zhu Shu and Ranma. "Village is attacked. Many warriors rabbits. Need help!"

Ranma looked at all the rabbits scrambling to get out of the able warrior's way and nodded. "I'll get Pop and Mr. Tendo and catch up. Go!"

Zhu Shu and Shan Pu ran towards the gate, barely pausing long enough for Shan Pu to grab up her bon buri. They arrived at the gates to find dozens of rabbits amid scattered weapons as the defenders tried to stem the tide of black clad men with wineskins. Shan Pu screamed in rage as they saw another Amazon warrior sprayed with water and turned into an animal . She threw a spray of darts as Zhu Shu scurried into the crowd, swords slashing wineskins. She ignored the rips as her long dress tore in a dozen places as she weaved through the invaders, leaving a wake of surprised hares.

Then, she tried to dive out of the way as a cloud of throwing darts came at her, but the shredded dress got in her way. She found herself pinned to a wall by the darts as a small boy with a wolf eared hood and blue hair calmly stepped out of the chaos.

"Well, you're fast, but not very smart," he leered. "Still, I think I can have lots of fun with you. Not many girls can handle my speed." He reached out to fondle a breast.

"Pig!" Zhu Shu spat. "How dare you!"

The small boy laughed. "I am Mint, of the Musk Dynasty! We are the rulers of all!" He traced a knife down the front of Zhu Shu's dress, the sharp blade parting the cloth easily as it barely touched her skin. "And you are a mere woman. You Amazons need to learn your places. You exist only to serve us."

"I am not an Amazon. And I do not serve you!" Zhu Shu screamed, throwing herself at the boy and trying to break the hold the darts had on her clothes. The cut down her front tore further as she ripped her arms out of the shredded sleeves. She staggered forward as the small boy danced to the side. He leered further at her nude state.

"So, you have some strength as well. Good. I'm going to enjoy teaching you how to please me."

Zhu Shu took a stance, her eyes narrowing. "I am not any man's play toy, pig. Especially not the likes of you."

The boy smiled as he drew a saber. "So, you would challenge one with the speed of the wolf?"

Zhu Shu smiled grimly. "I am Clan Dragon, Musk Warrior. We _are_ speed."

The boys smile faltered slightly as Zhu Shu struck. "You are her…" he said as he blocked her thrust, then reposted.

Zhu Shu ignored the stares and reactions of the warriors around her beyond a grim smile that their distraction made them easy targets for the Amazons as she began pouring her chi into speed and shifted to combat time. She had hated his type of behavior from Sung Li. There was no way she'd put up with it from this runt! She'd show him what real speed was!

Her smile slipped slightly as she realized he was still matching her thrust for thrust. As the world slowed around them, they began to duel in earnest…

0 0 0 0 0

Shan Pu threw her last spray of darts as a huge man in tiger striped armor shoved aside the troops crowding the gate and hiding from the Amazons' darts and arrows. "Cowards!" he yelled. "They're only women! Rush them! Show them the folly of presuming to be more than our playthings!"

Shan Pu growled. She remembered that huge shape. She'd never seen him clearly, but he had been there when Herb had humiliated her, and he had been the one…

"Stand aside cousin." A voice behind her said as a hand was laid on her shoulder. She turned to see Tao-Ching, hatred burning in his eyes. "He's mine."

She stepped aside as he stepped out in to the fray before the gate. "Lime! I warned you what would happen if you ever dared attack the Joketsuzoku again!" he called.

The tiger man's eyes turned to focus on the smaller, but no less brawny man. "Tao-Ching." he said as his eyes narrowed. "I see I didn't break you sufficiently. What makes you think you have any chance against me this time?"

Tao-Ching held up a water skin. "This." he smiled as he tensed his arms and the skin shredded, water cascading down…

Lime lost his sneering grin as a thousand pounds of snarling smilodon launched itself at him.

0 0 0 0 0

The sound of a snarling cat echoed across the battle field to where Ranma had arrived with his dad and Soun, but he was too engaged to really notice. He had entered the area in front of the gate and immediately gotten swirled into the mad melee. Red rage burned across his sight as he dodged the knives and swords – rage at what the battle field had shown him.

It had been the first attacker he'd fought – the one he'd nearly killed – who'd made him so angry, who had driven him to this rage. The one who'd been laughing as he stepped on a rabbit, laughing as he killed the transformed Amazon. It had been the glee in that laugh that had sparked the fire that burned in him, that made him wish he could get the image out of his mind, that had made him respond so violently. When the man had attacked him, Ranma had deflected his sword thrust into his own leg and left him frantically attempting to stem the flow of blood. The thrust wasn't likely to be fatal, but a half inch to the inside of his thigh and it would have been.

Part of him, a part that stood back and observed everything told him that he hadn't fatally wounded anyone, though it couldn't deny that his mercy wasn't shared by the Amazons. He found that as much as that would have bothered him normally, he just couldn't bring himself to object. He couldn't get the scream the rabbit had made as the man had broken her neck out of his head, and in his mind, images of a pink haired rabbit imposed itself under the man's foot. He broke the arm of the man he was fighting in passing.

It wasn't fair! Why did this stuff have to happen to him? Why, when he had just started to learn he loved Akane, did she have to have this happen? Why had these men come and turned her into a rabbit?

White fire burned across his shoulder from a sword thrust and he backed away from a group of fighters into a clear area. A snarl made him turn, fear chilling him to the core.

The big Musk Warrior was battered and bloody, but still on his feet and attempting to strangle the big cat. The observer knew the smilodon was Tao-Ching, but it made no difference. Black fear skittered across his consciousness. The sounds of dying rabbits merged with the howls of the angry cat as the observer retreated away from the rising animal rage. His last conscious thought as the Neko-ken consumed him was to hope he would remember to protect the rabbits…

0 0 0 0 0

Shan Pu yowled in fury as she clawed at the ankles of a passing black clad attacker. She had been caught by Tao-Ching's water shower, and as a result, she was now worse than useless in the aid of her village. She darted across the open space to a wall and clawed her way up the side of a hut. Maybe if she could get higher, she could jump on somebody…

From the roof, she could see over the village wall, where hundreds more of the black clad attackers harried the wall's defenders and attempted to pour through the gates; Tao-Ching at least was helping there. His fight with the giant blocked the gate effectively enough that only a few managed to pass. Near him she spied a red clad whirlwind sending people flying and smiled as Ranma proved his prowess to the Amazons. No-one would question her loss to him after this.

She jumped across the space between two huts, narrowly clearing the wide gap and looked down at a posturing Kuno.

"Villains! Assassins! Feel the Wrath of Blue Thunder!"

He was an idiot, but she did have to admire his skill with the sword, even sheathed as it was. A trail of unconscious bodies lay behind his push into the gate field.

She scampered across a line over a group of her sisters, noting with approval the pathway they were paving in blood. The villains were paying for the harm they had caused her sisters in the only coin Amazons accepted.

She dodged a sword that spun towards her, the hand gripping it trailing blood, and reached the peak of the tallest roof by the gate. There, she stopped, her eyes focusing on a rapidly moving blur.

Zhu Shu was being hard pressed by a small male in a wolf eared hood. She was unwounded, but Shan Pu could tell she was angry. And nude. A quick scan of the battlefield revealed her dress pinned to a wall by several daggers. Shan Pu hissed. She'd spent days embroidering the dragon on the dress. She headed for the battle between the two.

She concentrated as she moved, meowing as she shifted towards the speed with which the two duelists were moving. She watched as Zhu Shu did a leap that took her nearly thirty feet into the air, her ribbons lashing down in a move she'd seen from the receiving end a few times, but her eyes widened as she saw the size of the chi ball Zhu Shu unleashed.

The small boy sheared the ball in two on his blade, the energy sliding to either side and destroying the roof he was standing on. He laughed as he dodged the next few blasts Zhu Shu unleashed from where she was hovering, not caring that they caught his own troops instead.

"You're good, bitch. But you will still pleasure me before I'm done with you."

Shan Pu shook her head. Something wasn't right about this. How did the Musk get so powerful? And why was the Musk soldier acting like that? She remembered how they had acted when she was thirteen. They had been fascinated that she was a female, and even though Herb had cheated when they fought, and might have even beaten her if Tao-Ching hadn't showed up, they had at least respect for her as a warrior.

She jumped across to another roof as the Musk warrior landed on it. "Give it up, girl. Xi'an Chi protected us from Amazon magic, and I am your better in speed. You can't win." His grin made Shan Pu's skin crawl.

Zhu Shu landed on a pole top, her ribbons lashing. "Never."

The small man laughed. "I like your spirit. I'm going to have fun breaking you. Maybe I'll train you to walk on all fours at the end of my leash."

Zhu Shu's eyes burned with green fire as her ribbons began to shimmer gold. They danced out in a whirlwind, only to bounce off a shimmering barrier. The Musk laughed again and held up a small amulet on a leather thong. "I told you, you can't touch me. This charm shields me from your magic."

A small bundle of pink and purple fur hurled itself from the roof peak behind him and four sets of claws dug into his arm as Shan Pu bit down on the amulet. The boy screamed and threw her violently away. She yowled as she flew against the roof peak. The short man loomed above her, his sword raised. "Damn cat!" His sword started to descend.

A golden ribbon lashed out to impale his wrist, followed by a second across the back of his knees. He screamed as his legs collapsed, then gave a low groan as Zhu Shu's pommel connected with the back of his head. Shan Pu looked up to see Zhu Shu, glaring down at the unconscious figure.

"Arrogant dog."

Shan Pu looked down to the amulet she had torn out of the boy's hand and nodded in satisfaction.

0 0 0 0 0

A few minutes later, after tying up the unconscious boy, they looked out over the village.

"This is not good." Zhu Shu muttered. The Amazons were making a brave fight, but they were sorely outnumbered, and even the aid of the Nerima crew wasn't preventing the slow advance of the black clad troops. The Amazons had lost too many of the best warriors to the cursed water.

An old rabbit with white fur kicked her in the leg to get her attention, then hopped down to an alley between huts. She followed the rabbit down and placed Shan Pu on the ground. The rabbit was scratching ideograms in the dirt. Zhu Shu read them and looked at the rabbit wide eyed.

"Jusenkyo is two days away! Great-grandmother, even at my fastest, I could only make it in a day!"

The rabbit scratched further symbols. Zhu Shu looked at them and shook her head. "I have never done that before. I don't know how to do that." She read the symbols Ke Lun continued to write and nodded uncertainly. "I will try, Great-grandmother."

She looked around the corner to the battle. It was becoming increasingly obvious the Amazons were losing slowly. Ke Lun was right; there was no other way, and no one else who could have even a hope of succeeding.

She debated grabbing one of the outfits littering the ground, but decided she couldn't waste the time, so she leaped to the top of the outer wall as she opened all her chi paths to their fullest.

The world around her slowed to a crawl as she stepped past a slow moving arrow. She leaped down onto the head of a black trooper and stepping stoned her way across the waiting men. At the edge of their group, she headed off down the path towards Jusenkyo.

Still, time was passing too quickly. She set herself to her fastest pace and concentrated on moving faster. Time began moving slower still and the air took on the feeling of a clinging liquid. She split her chi into a shield around her as Ke Lun had instructed and began to pour more and more into making herself move faster and faster.

She ran across a frozen landscape viewed through distorted glass. She passed leaves frozen in mid air, crossed streams of solid water, leaped up the spray of a frozen waterfall. Chi poured through her in rivers, in oceans, and still she drew it in and poured it into her speed. She ignored the fire in her legs, the acid each breath became, and concentrated only on moving faster, every second passing being one too many for someone at the village.

The chi within her burned like a star, yet eventually, it began to falter. As she approached the Jusenkyo springs she felt the beginnings of its exhaustion. She pushed the thought from her mind as she stopped in front of the Guide's hut and time slammed back into motion.

A small girl peeked out of the hut after the gale that accompanied Zhu Shu had washed over it. She stared at the naked state Zhu Shu was in and asked wide eyed. "Who are you?"

Zhu Shu knelt and tried to get enough breath to talk. "I seek the Guide. I must get water from the spring of drowned girl or the Amazons are doomed."

The girl stared at her.

"Please," Zhu Shu begged. "I have no time! Every second I delay may mean more deaths."

The girl nodded and seemed to come to a decision. "I am his daughter, Plum. I can show you the spring."

Zhu Shu stood on wobbly legs. "I thank you. I will need a couple of water skins if you have them."

The girl nodded and vanished into the hut, reappearing a few seconds later with a pair. "This way." She led Zhu Shu into the pools.

Five minutes later, with two skins full of water, she began her run back, but barely a fourth of the way there, she felt as her chi finally reached exhaustion. Desperately, she reached out, searching with her mind for another source, another way of achieving her quest. Somehow, she had to find a way; she _had_ to get to the Amazon village.

And something responded to that need…

In a flash of golden light, Zhu Shu disappeared.

0 0 0 0 0

"I can't believe those girls." Luna said irritated. "To go off and leave us here, and break their promise."

Artemis looked up from where he was rubbing a sore spot. "Yeah, and get us stuck by the vet too" He looked around the room. "I should claw up the sheets or something. Serve Usagi right."

"Artemis!" Luna chided.

"I know, I know. I'm annoyed and in pain. It makes me catty!"

Luna groaned at the pun, then gasped. She and Artemis both turned and stared off in the direction they had felt the surge from.

"Zhu Shu?" Luna said softly…

0 0 0 0 0

Further south, the wizard turned from the young red haired American he was talking to and stared off to the north. The girl trailed off when she noticed she had lost his attention and looked at him in puzzlement.

"Xi'an Chi?"

He focused on her for a second. "We'll continue this later, Alice. I have something I must check on."

The girl blinked at the retreating back of the masked Chinese man. She'd never seen him so distracted…

0 0 0 0 0

On an airplane just coming in to land in Hong Kong, a short beep came from Ami's minicomputer, but it was lost in the roar of the jet engines.

0 0 0 0 0

With the flash of light, Zhu Shu had felt herself falling. She had landed just a second later, but it took her eyes a second to recover from the dazzle. Then her jaw dropped in shock.

She was standing in the middle of the dais where Shan Pu and Akane had gotten betrothed.

An anxious Shan Pu whirled around from where she stood next to the pink rabbit that was Akane. Zhu Shu smiled weakly at her surprise, answering her unspoken question. "I don't know. I have the water. How long?"

Shan Pu gaped in shock. "Just over ten minutes. They fired the huts by the gate, but we still hold."

Zhu Shu nodded. "Then I have not failed?" She fell to her knees, too weary to stand as the world spun around her.

_((No, my love, you did not fail…))_

Then there was only the scent of cherry blossoms…

0 0 0 0 0

The fighting by the gate had become bloody. Faced with odds too great to overcome, they had been forced to stop pulling punches or sword strokes. Tao-Ching had finally felled the giant Lime and was doing his best to hold the gate against the invaders, aided by a yowling Ranma. Genma and Soun, both bloody, worked to save animals from the battlefield. Kuno, pressed from all sides by attackers seeking his life had gone into a trance state. Like clockwork, an invader fell with every stroke he made.

Then, a volley of arrows from behind the defenders cut down the first rows of the attackers, and with a howling war cry, a horde of naked Amazon warriors charged into the fray.

Every one sporting rabbit ears and tails…

Kuno stood, his jaw dropped in amazement.

"It's the attack of the kawaii bunny-girls." A dryly amused voice said from beside him. He turned to see an equally naked Nabiki standing next to him, also with rabbit ears and a bunny tail.

It was too much; with blood gushing from his nose, he fainted.

0 0 0 0 0

With the arrival of the fresh warriors, the battle turned. The savage Amazon warriors took their anger out on the attackers for daring to turn them into cute sextoys. As the last of the attackers fled, a cheer arose from the defenders, but attention was quickly diverted to putting out the fires and recovering their dead.

As the sun set, twenty one women lay on the dais, returned at least to partial humanity by the last of the cursed water. A tall, young looking woman with long black hair and ears stood before the assembled tribe, clutching the cane she had used to defend her village as its Warleader. She solemnly spoke to the still living as one by one, they were covered.

Nabiki turned from where she watched to the rest of the people in the large hut.

"I don't see Zhu Shu out there, so she must still be sleeping."

Shan Pu, sitting close to Akane and looking worriedly at the black haired boy curled up in Akane's lap purring, nodded. "She very tired. Faint from exhaustion. She very big hero. Bring water to turn people back."

Nabiki nodded and sat down cross-legged next to where Kasumi happily tended a fire, cooking them all dinner. She didn't seem to mind the long ears poking up through her hair in the slightest. Nabiki squirmed, trying to get her tail comfortable. "Or at least _mostly_ back," she grumbled.

"Great-grandmother tells why still part rabbit."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. The curses combined, so we are all cursed by the spring of drowned bunny-girl." She sighed, then gave a wry grin. "Well, if nothing else, we're assured high paying careers as exotic models."

"Oh, my." Kasumi said with a blush.

The laughter lightened the mood, and drew a "merrrrow" from Ranma. Nodoka looked at him and turned to Genma. "What _I _want to know is what has happened to my son."

Genma looked around for a place to hide, but stopped at the sound of steel being slid out of its sheath. "Um, well, dear, you see…"

"What have you done to our son, Genma?"

"Yes, why Ai Ren act like cat?" Shan Pu added.

Unable to escape, Genma settled down into a cross legged position and pushed his glasses up his nose. "It began when I sought to teach him the 'Neko-ken.' Ever since the training, he has feared cats, and only when his fear overwhelms him can he use the secrets of that deadly art." He glanced at the purring boy on Akane's lap. "When his fear destroys his reason, he becomes a cat, and until now, only a little old lady in the neighborhood we stayed in before going to China could bring him out."

"And why would this training affect him so?" Nodoka prompted.

Genma settled into his righteous indignation pose. "As I told you ten years ago, dear, a mother's love would interfere with his training."

A sword set its edge against his neck. "And I told you the jury was still out on you, Genma. Answer my question."

Genma eyed the razor sharp steel and gulped. "According to the training manual, you have to tie fish sausage to a student and drop him into a pit of hungry cats."

A collective gasp of disbelief rose around the room. Soun muttered, "How rigorous!"

Genma continued. "Unfortunately, it was a failure. I tried fish sausage, fish jerky, fish paste, but nothing worked. All that it accomplished was to give him this phobia of cats."

"How _could_ you?" Nodoka asked, looking at her son in pity.

"Ranma scared _all_ cats?" Shan Pu asked in a small voice.

"All cats." Genma confirmed.

"What if small harmless kitten-type cat?"

"It makes no difference. From the smallest kitten to the largest tiger, he fears them equally."

"You did to Ai Ren!" Shan Pu screamed shaking Genma by the collar. "You fix!"

"I… can't…" Genma said between shakes. "I… tried… when… I… found… out… was… a… trick…"

"Trick!" Shan Pu shrieked, letting him go as she fell back on her rump in shock.

"A trick. It wasn't until I read the next page of the training manual that I found out that it was given as an example of what _not_ to do. I've tried every thing to try and break him of his fear. I've locked him into his room with a bag of them, in a cage with them – I've even thrown him into a lion's den. Nothing works!"

"How could you do that to your own son?" Akane yelled.

"Yes, Mr. Tendo, you went too far, even for martial arts training!" Kasumi chided.

Everyone stared at her in shock.

"Shan Pu find way to fix, Ai Ren. No must be afraid of cat." Shan Pu told the sleeping Ranma quietly before she exited the hut.

"Humm." Nabiki muttered. "Well, one has to wonder as to why _she's_ so upset."

"Yeah, well I don't think _either_ of us is really pleased about this." Akane said, giving Genma a dark look.

0 0 0 0 0

"We must press them now." Ke Lun told the other elders meeting in her hut after the gathering in the square. "If we allow them to regroup, they will only attack again."

"We have lost too many warriors, Ke Lun. We have too few to guard both our walls and send out a force such as you propose." Lo Shen said, her ears twitching agitatedly. Like Ke Lun, she had been restored to youth as a bunny-girl. Fully three quarters of the other elders were similarly afflicted by the initial shower.

"Yet if we allow Herb time to regroup, he will simply hire more of these mercenaries. Only the giant and the small one Zhu Shu defeated are Musk! All the others bore this mark!" Ke Lun tossed a piece of paper on the table with a drawing of the tattoo all the black clad attackers had on the left shoulder.

"I do not believe the _Musk_ hired these men, Revered Warleader." A weary voice said from the sleeping loft over Ke Lun's head. "Forgive my intrusion, elders, but I could not help but overhear." Zhu Shu said as she climbed down the ladder.

The Loremaster nodded. "Clan Dragon is always welcome at Council, Zhu Shu." Several other elders nodded.

Zhu Shu raised an eyebrow, then bowed shakily. "You honor me."

"You have seen something, child?" Ke Lun asked.

"I have no gift for visions, Great-grandmother, beyond my sight for auras. But I know that sign." She pointed to the piece of paper. "I fear very much that you have lost warriors today because of me. I know of no other reason you would have been attacked by warriors of Clan Scorpion, save that I was here."

The Loremaster shook her head. "No, child. We have skirmished with the Scorpion Tong before. They have tried to acquire herbs, magic, and lore that we posses. They have not succeeded before, they did not this time. The only surprise is that they joined with the Musk and that their leader gave the Musk wards against magic, yet did not grant his own troops the same protection."

"Yet the Scorpion have attempted to assassinate me in Japan. I fear they traced me to here and–"

"Nonsense. This attack was too prepared to have been set up in the last week." The Loremaster smiled gently. "Be at peace child. Your actions today saved our village. For that we are grateful. Do not blame yourself for those you could not save. And fear no more for assassins in Japan. We shall send two of our finest warriors with Ke Lun and Shan Pu to see to your safety."

Ke Lun held up her hand. "No. I will take Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung. The Dragon's Child is equal to any of our best warriors. She can defend herself from most harm, and I must finish their training anyway, as well as see to my new son and daughter in law's training. She will be safe."

Zhu Shu nodded, knowing it was useless to argue. She should have known becoming Shan Pu's blood-sister had its drawbacks. Plus, the Amazons seemed to hold Clan Dragon in some esteem, so her being the last of the Clan meant she had to be protected. At least Ke Lun had prevented the Loremaster from sending two adult warriors to loom over her all the time. And Ke Lun had already agreed she had to go to Hong Kong.

"Anyway, you stated you did not believe the Musk hired Scorpion. I would agree." Ke Lun said. "I believe they have taken over the Musk. The two warriors with the Scorpion troops do not behave as they have in the past. They have no _honor_ anymore. We must investigate, and wipe out this infestation if what I suspect is true. We cannot allow the Scorpion access to the Musk's legacy, and we must recover the _Kaisufuu_!"

"And again, I would tell you we do not have the warriors." The Loremaster stated.

"Your pardon again, Revered elders." Zhu Shu said as she bowed once more. "But you do not stand alone in the need for the _Kaisufuu_."

The Loremaster blinked. "You speak of the Outlanders?"

"Yes, Revered elder. They have aided in the defense of Joketsuzoku, and they have shared in this curse. I believe if you but ask, they will lend their aid."

Ke Lun grinned. "Indeed." She looked to the Loremaster. "The Dragon has given you a solution. Will you not listen?"

The Loremaster blushed. "You are correct, Warleader. I will listen. Will you ask the Outlanders to aid us in this?"

Ke Lun laughed, a far cry from her usual cackle. "Honestly, I think we would have a hard time stopping them from coming."

The elders nodded as the Loremaster said "If nothing else, it will be the first test of our marriage alliance." She stood and bowed to Zhu Shu. "Our thanks for your wisdom, Child of the Dragon." She turned to the others. "If there is nothing else, I suggest we conclude. We have disturbed our rescuer's sleep enough, and there is much to prepare for tomorrow. Ke Lun, you may take twenty warriors with you as well as any of the Outlanders who wish to accompany you. I will pray to the Ancestors for your success."

Ke Lun nodded and began putting the tea cups on a tray as the other elders filed out. As the door closed behind her, she turned to Zhu Shu. "Thank you. I was afraid I was going to have to argue with her all night. She had no choice but to listen to you."

Zhu Shu bobbed her head. "I apologize for the rudeness of interrupting the elders meeting, but I still fear the village is in danger so long as I am here."

"Everywhere is in danger from the Scorpion, Zhu Shu. I don't know why they tried to assassinate you in Japan, but we are not strangers to their depredations."

"Yet so long as they seek me, those around me are in danger."

"Child, if you say that we would be safer if you left us all and hid yourself away, I will turn you over my knee and paddle you like a child. That is a child's solution, Little Mouse, to run away. It would be a disservice to your friends, your family and your loved ones. Do they know of the attempt on your life?"

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Not all of them."

"Do Akane and Ranma know?"

"Yes. And Kasumi. She was with me when they attacked. I was forced to kill them to save her life. Nabiki found out later and it was she who told me where the assassins were from. No-one else of the Tendos or Saotomes knows."

"And Shan Pu?"

Zhu Shu looked away. "I have not told her yet."

"Yet you will go to Hong Kong _alone_."

"I only seek to investigate. I have means to summon aid if needed."

Ke Lun sighed. "I cannot command you not to do this, Zhu Shu, anymore than I can command you not to accompany us tomorrow. I am honored to call you great-granddaughter, but I do not rule you. But please, for the love I have for you, be careful. I want to see both your's and Shampoo's children's children some day; I cannot do that if you throw your life away in a misguided effort not to endanger us."

Zhu Shu lowered her head. "I swear I will do my best to stay out of danger when I may." she said tiredly

Ke Lun nodded. "I suppose I must be satisfied with that."

Zhu Shu's soft snore was the only answer she got.

0 0 0 0 0

"So, she has escaped today." Xi'an Chi noted.

"Yes, Master. But my spies confirm that they have taken the secondary bait. They will come here tomorrow. Everything is prepared for them. She will not escape a second time." The shadowy figure in his scrying mirror said.

Xi'an Chi nodded. "She had better not. She has begun to access some of those cursed Senshi powers, though she doesn't know how to control them. I curse the day Serenity gave her those swords and that wand. Between them they have more tricks than ten thousand magicians. Do not allow the seals on the trap to be broken once she has been caught or she may find a way of slipping free."

"I will not fail, Master. No weapon forged by man may harm me."

"Make sure of it, or I will give you to Chaos as a play toy."

"You need not worry, Master. By this time tomorrow, The Dragon's Child will be _yours._"


	7. Chapter 5: Mousetrap

Chapter Five: Mousetrap

Dawn came to the Joketsuzoku village and found Ranma awake. He was setting on a rooftop overlooking the site of the battle and trying to forget what the day was going to bring.

He'd come back to himself last night as Ke Lun was asking for volunteers to assault the Musk fortress, claiming that the Musk were known to possess an artifact that would allow the cursed girls to resume their normal forms. It had been unanimous, even Kuno forgoing his usual flowery speech to agree.

Indeed, he'd been unusually quiet since yesterday, absorbed in his own thoughts.

Ranma really couldn't blame him. Yesterday had been disturbing for him too, and he couldn't even remember the fight from the point he went Neko.

"Is not easy face death." A quiet voice said from behind. "This Shan Pu knows."

Ranma turned to see the Amazon girl as she sat down next to him. He shook his head. "No. I keep thinking I should have done something different. I know there's only one that I'm sure I wounded badly, and that he deserved it, and that if I hadn't he would have kept killing defenseless girls, but still..."

"Ai Ren should not torture self."

"I just feel I should have found a different way. I'm a martial arts master, I should have been able to control my anger and not cripple him."

Shan Pu sighed. "Ai Ren save many others from death. Ai Ren not have choice. Amazon only kill when must, not revel in death, but do not regret when must hurt, even kill. If law demand, honor demand, justice demand, will kill, like step on insect. Is done and forget."

Ranma shook his head. "I can't Shan Pu. At the very _least_ I crippled him."

Shan Pu sighed. "Sister say would be like this. Is why she tells Shan Pu come."

Ranma laughed ruefully. "I should have known. I thought she was recuperating."

"She meditates. Rebuild chi for today."

"She's not coming along?"

"Great-grandmother tries to say no. Zhu Shu not listens. She blames self for Akane be cursed."

"Oh for Kami's Sake! How can she think that's her fault?"

Shan Pu shrugged. "Is only blood-sister. Not always understand."

"Great. One more thing to worry about. Akane refused to stay either."

Shan Pu tilted her head. "Why would wish? Ai Ren is warrior good as Shan Pu."

Ranma sighed. "Then I suppose it would be pointless to ask you to stay here too?"

Shan Pu stiffened. "Why would Ai Ren insult Shan Pu so?" She asked with a glint in her eye.

Not looking at her, Ranma missed it. "I'm not insulting you. It's just that I can't protect all of–"

A bon buri impacting the back of his head interrupted him and knocked him off the roof.

"Shan Pu defends self! Shan Pu Champion! How– how–" Anger gave way to tears as she turned and ran off.

"Now what did I do?" Ranma muttered to himself as he stood up, rubbing the back of his head. He turned to see Akane standing in the door of the hut and tapping her fingers on her crossed arms, her long pink ears quivering.

"You would think you'd get the hint when I said no." She turned and stormed back into the hut.

Ranma sighed. "Women. I just don't understand them."

"Women are easy to handle, Son. You just have to be firm with them." Genma said as he came out of the hut. "Just look at how I told your mother I was taking you off to be trained. Just tell them what to do and that's the end of it."

Ranma booted him to the far side of the village. "And that's why you had to make a promise I'd commit seppuku if you failed!" he yelled after the departing form.

"Ranma! You really shouldn't kick you father across the village." Nodoka said, emerging from the hut behind Genma. "Boot him over the wall. It's impolite to have him possibly crash into someone's house, or land on someone."

Ranma sighed... Looked like it was going to be one of _those_ days...

0 0 0 0 0

Several hours later they stood overlooking a pass into a mountaintop valley.

"I don't like it." Ke Lun said, surveying the empty pass. "They should have guards here at least. It's almost like they want us to walk right in."

"Nay. We beat the blackguards so soundly they do cower like whipped curs before the might of Blue Thunder." Kuno said as he flourished his sword.

"Yeah, right Kuno." Ranma said.

"It's obviously a trap." Tao-Ching said. "The question is do we spring it or look for another way?"

Ke Lun pointed across the small valley to a fortress built atop the mountain's crest. "This _is_ the only way. The far side of that crag is a sheer drop of a couple of thousand feet. That stairway is the only access to the fortress." She pointed to a narrow stair that wound its way up to the small plateau the castle was built on. Barely a hundred feet of open ground stood before the fortified gates.

Tao-Ching's eyes narrowed. "That area before the gates looks rather sandblasted. I'd say they've been using it for a helicopter landing."

Ke Lun nodded. "That would explain how Scorpion brought in so many troops without our scouts seeing them. I wonder what made Herb desperate enough to think he could trust them."

Tao-Ching cracked his knuckles. "Doesn't really matter does it?"

Ke Lun's ears twitched. "No, I suppose not."

She looked over the group, her twenty rabbit-eared Amazons and the group from Nerima, and mentally ticked off assets. "Tao-Ching. You take Soun, Genma, Kuno, Tal Cum, Pow Der, Blu She and Loo Fah. You're going straight in through the gates. Shan Pu, Akane, Ranma, Zhu Shu and I will go for the roof. The rest of you will surround the castle and prevent anyone from escaping." She glared at the couple of groans. "I brought you because you're our best archers, so stay where you're the most useful. I'm sure we'll send out plenty of targets."

Fea Tha, a tall willowy Amazon with blue hair smacked the two groaners in the back of the head. "I'll see you both for practice for the next six months," she said ominously. Ke Lun nodded.

Ranma started to open his mouth when Zhu Shu raised her hand up to him. "No ask, Ranma. Know you think be noble to protect fiancée, but not now. Shan Pu will forgive for ask this morning, but not make same mistake twice," she said, her voice too low to carry to the rest.

"But–"

"No, Ranma. If say one more word, can not keep Amazons from being angry. They are ones offended. They will fight to avenge. Shampoo is Amazon, and champion. You not make her lose face! Must accept."

Ranma grimaced. "Fine. But I don't have to like it." He stage whispered back

Zhu Shu put her hands on her hips. "And think we do when put self in danger?"

"Hey, I can handle myself!"

"So can Amazons."

"Son-in-law. It's noble of you to want to protect her and Akane, but it's unneeded." Ke Lun interjected into the whispered argument. "We are about to go into a battle where we all need to be focused. If you are trying to protect them, you will leave yourself vulnerable. That in turn will make them try to watch out for you and leave them vulnerable. You must swear you will concentrate on your own fights and _only_ your own fights or I will force you to stay here."

"Oh yeah, I'd like to see–" He stopped dead as Ke Lun poked him with her stick.

"Promise, son-in-law." she said to the frozen figure.

His eyes looked to Akane and Shan Pu, who were both studiously ignoring him, then to Zhu Shu, and the pleading in hers. Finally, he relented, "Very well. I promise on the honor of the Saotome name, I will not try to defend anyone save myself in battle today."

Zhu Shu nodded and Ke Lun tapped him again. "Thank you Ranma. Zhu Shu knows it hard, but please, trust her, is needed." The Mandarin girl said softly to him. "This Amazon affair. We here because Amazon need help, and you are betrothed to Champion. Must not make her less in Amazon eyes. Must not make her seem weaker than man, or you shame her."

Ranma sighed. "Okay, okay, fine. But I'm only doing this because I know they're _almost_ as skilled as me. But if anything happens to you or Akane… or Shan Pu, I'm not going to promise I won't come to save you."

Zhu Shu met his eyes for a long moment then looked down. "Zhu Shu would not ask that. Zhu Shu would not have asked to allow fiancées to fight own battles at all if not been important." she said softly.

Ranma let his annoyance go. "Hey, it's okay Zhu Shu. It's just, well, I don't want to see you hurt. I mean, well, you're my friend, and Akane's been really, really nice lately, and I know Shan Pu's your blood-sister and all."

Zhu Shu gave him a small smile. "Zhu Shu sees." she said with a satisfied tone. She turned to go back to the others.

Ranma gave her a puzzled look. "Now what's that supposed to mean?"

0 0 0 0 0

The trip across the small valley was eerily quiet, the light seeming to get dimmer as they approached the fortress. No birds sang in the trees and no insects hummed.

"There is magic here." Ke Lun murmured. "Evil magic that hates life. It has drained this place."

Akane shivered. "It feels like a cold mist is hovering here, even though the sun is shining."

Ke Lun looked at her appraisingly, and nodded to herself.

Zhu Shu just looked sick. "Be glad do not see auras as deep as Zhu Shu," was all she said.

At the lower gates, Ke Lun and Tao-Ching looked at each other and nodded. They stepped to either side of the gates and shouted in unison as they poked the stone. A massive explosion erupted as the walls collapsed. Tao-Ching stepped back from the explosion, his shirt in tatters, and looked at Ke Lun, standing completely unharmed. "One day I will figure out how you do that, Warleader," he grinned.

The trek up the long winding stair was equally as unnerving as the valley had been. Shadows far darker than they should have been in the late morning sun seemed to shift of their own accord.

"Shan Pu have feeling whoever in castle try to intimidate."

"Fear not fair maiden. The strong arm of Tatewaki Kuno shall defend thee from any sorcerous threats," Kuno boasted.

Ke Lun raised an eyebrow as the younger Amazon started to turn and brain the kendoist, but was stopped by Zhu Shu.

"He's just trying to make himself not feel afraid," she said softly in Chinese. "He is not totally crazy."

0 0 0 0 0

Under the shadow of the fortress, the sensation of being loomed over by a dark cloud was stronger than ever. They looked at the open gates and nodded. Tao-Ching cracked his knuckles and waited until the group heading for the roof had moved off a little before dousing himself with water.

Ke Lun led her group up the walls as the smilodon's scream greeted the horde of warriors who poured out of the castle when they passed the gate. She caught flashes of the huge cat throwing bodies aside; Soun's Demon Head attack screaming at a group and sending them flying; the panda braining black clad warriors with his signs. Then she was too busy dodging arrows from above.

Twin whirlwinds shredded the arrows as Shan Pu, Ke Lun and Ranma cleared the roof line and piled into the troops infesting the battlements. In moments bodies were flying from the roof as the trio opened up the way inside. Twin glowing orbs rained down golden destruction as ribbons tore across the rooftops like lightning. Then an explosion shattered the doorway into the castle, shrapnel cutting down black clad warriors like chaff. As the smoke cleared, Ke Lun dusted her hands and led the way inside.

0 0 0 0 0

Down in the courtyard, Soun and Genma finally reached the doors and broke through into an empty hall. Surprised at the sudden lack of resistance they stalked down the corridor to a large set of double doors. They smashed them open and stopped.

Genma held up a sign that read "Have we died and gone to heaven?"

Before them lay a large room. Women crowded the room from wall to wall, setting or laying on cushions. They were all ravishingly beautiful and dressed only in soft see-through silk robes. Small tables spread throughout the room held small glasses and large jugs bedewed with condensation. At first glance, it seemed a welcome invitation to debauchery, but then they noticed the hopeless stares, the bruises, the collars affixed to heavy chains. Genma's sign dropped further and further until finally he ground it underfoot.

With out a word, they moved forward. Chains broke in massive paws as Soun's more delicate strikes shattered locks. As they moved deeper into the room, the Amazon warriors who Ke Lun had sent in with them moved into the room, weapons ready, and saw what the pair was doing. They nodded grimly as they left the pair to their work and began gathering the girls to escort outside. The anger that was rising from the two men was growing more palpable with every girl freed.

As the last chain was cleared, they looked at the door that led deeper into the fortress. It was a hugely massive bronze monstrosity that looked more solid than a mountain. It didn't even slow them down...

0 0 0 0 0

In another part of the fortress, Tao-Ching padded along another empty corridor. He'd gotten separated from the others during the fighting and, like usual, had gotten himself lost.

He stopped outside a door that was slightly ajar as he heard a booming noise from the other side. He nosed the door open to find himself in a kitchen. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air from a butchered deer carcass that hung over a drain on the far side of the large room, next to a number of wooden casks.

Warily, he paced into the room, scanning for any hidden attackers until he stood next to the deer. A wooden cask lay on the ground next to the drain, its lid carelessly thrown into a corner. Next to the cask was a set of manacles. Puzzled, he squinted at the poorly written ideograms on the casks, then growled. He batted the lid of the cask on the floor over and looked at the word on it...

With a howl of pure rage, he bounded out of the kitchen door towards where he had heard the booming noise, looking for any black clad soldiers on which to unleash his fury. Behind him in the kitchen, the lid to the water cask spun and rattled before finally settling once more on its top, mercifully concealing the word "Deer"...

0 0 0 0 0

Ranma finally had to admit he was lost. This damn castle was a maze of twisting corridors, sliding walls and traps. He'd been separated from the others as they had tried to decide which corridor they were going to go down and he had just stepped into the mouth of one to see if he could tell where it went through heavy shadows. But when he had turned back, the corridor had stretched out behind him as well. He had tried going through the walls but they were too thick and he hadn't figured out how Ke Lun did that trick with the exploding walls yet.

Eventually, after what seemed hours, he came to a set of double doors. Faint sounds came from behind it. Cautiously, he opened the door.

A large bed occupied the center of the room beyond, silk curtains hanging down and obscuring the occupants from the door. Ranma cautiously stepped around the bed until he could see what was occurring within.

A girl took center place in the bed, obviously enjoying the attentions of three men simultaneously. Her face was obscured by the body of the man standing in front of her, but her bobbing motions and the way she ground her hips back and forth between the other two men were unmistakable. As he realized the girl had red hair in a long braid, they convulsed in a massive orgasm. Frozen in shock, Ranma could only stare as following the display, the girl raised her head and looked at him, her blue eyes glowing as she licked her lips.

"Come and join us Ranma." his doppelganger cooed. "You know it's what you want to do, to give in, to forget you were ever anything else."

Ranma tried to back away, tried to step back but couldn't. "No! I'm a guy!"

The double slithered out of the bed. "Really?" Hands tore away his clothes revealing a female body. "This is who you really are, you know it is." Hands fluttered across her skin as her body betrayed her and responded.

"Come!" the soft voices of the waiting men whispered, echoing "Come, come." Their words drew her forward against her will.

The door closing behind her cut off her screams…

0 0 0 0 0

Ke Lun knew there was magic afoot when she was separated from her companions. It had been too quick to have been anything else. Now she walked down a featureless corridor tapping the walls and floor to see if they concealed hidden openings.

A faint scream, quickly cut off drew her attention. It had seemed to come from ahead. She started moving in that direction.

At the end of the corridor she found a large set of double doors. She looked around but there was no signs that anyone else had passed this way, or of any other corridors. The smell of trap was strong. She turned to look behind her, knowing already what she was going to see.

The corridor behind her was gone.

"So, I'm being herded." she muttered. She listened intently for several minutes, her long rabbit ears quivering, but no sound could be heard. "Well, then, let's see what you have for me, mine enemy."

She glided softly forward, her youthful body making not a sound as she opened the door enough to slip through.

Darkness greeted her. She strained to see through the enveloping gloom, but not a shred of light revealed itself. Her ears twitched as she tried to pick up a sound.

Nothing.

She stepped forward carefully, her stick feeling along the floor for pitfalls, but as she moved she felt herself stumble as a weakness struck her. She fell to the floor as she felt herself becoming heavier and all strength fled from her. Light returned to the room to show her that she had become a withered, aged thing, her health and beauty flown once more. She attempted to move, but the weight of years pinned her to the floor. Drool escaped from her lips as her head began wobbling on her pipe stem neck.

Then a foot stepped into her sight. She fought to raise her eyes to look up at the strong silhouette of Shan Pu above her.

"You are old, Great-grandmother." The figure said.

_Old old old old old old old old old_ the wind whispered around the room as she felt her heart begin to slow. Time seemed to be eating her up.

A figure appeared behind Shan Pu, a figure shadowy and dim. She tried to speak, to warn Shan Pu, but her tongue lolled uselessly in her mouth as she tried to form words.

Shan Pu leaned closer to pat her hand. "Don't worry Great-grandmother, I am the Champion." She laughed as she turned and embraced the shadowy figure, offering her lips in a kiss as Death claimed her.

The door closed softly behind her as Death laughed, enjoying her despair at the helplessness she felt as age robbed her of her last joy…

0 0 0 0 0

Shan Pu was not happy.

She had been wandering in this maze for what seemed hours, cut off from her friends and unable to find anyone to take her frustrations out on. The maze just wound on and on.

She had tried bashing through the walls but they seemed to take no damage from her hardest blows, and she had given up on trying to keep track of the turns she had taken. Now she simply followed the corridor hoping that the end of it would bring her someone to hit.

Finally, she came to a large set of double doors. Cautiously, she pulled open the door and peeked inside.

"Oh, do stop pussyfooting around Shan Pu." Akane said. "I know it comes naturally to your kitty nature, but it's annoying."

Shan Pu blinked. "How– Where– But–" she said in shock. The last thing she'd expected to see in the room was her fiancée, and Akane seemed angry with her.

"Oh, come now, surely you saw it coming. Did you really think I could _love_ you? I beat you twice, Ranma beat you. Some Champion you are. And to top it off, you're just an animal."

Shan Pu's eyes filled with moisture. "Why Ai Ren say such things?"

"Because they're true, Shan Pu." Ranma's voice said. He stepped out of the shadows behind Akane. "Really, did you think you could just waltz into our hearts and make us love you? You're worthless as an Amazon, and worthless as a wife. All you are is a failure! You can't even stay decently human. Why would you even think I would marry a _cat?_"

"But– but–" Shan Pu tried to back away from the accusing eyes, only to run into another body. She whirled to see Zhu Shu glaring at her as well.

"So you make all the work I did pointless." The Mandarin girl said harshly. "Why did I even bother? Why did I let myself be blood-sister to such a worthless piece of trash like you? Your mother should have saved everyone the bother and drowned you in a sack. Isn't that how to deal with unwanted kittens?"

"No– no–" Shan Pu sobbed and turned to see Ke Lun staring at her coldly.

"I can't believe I thought you might be worth training. I should have killed you when you failed to give Akane the Kiss of Death. An Amazon does not submit to an Outland woman. You weak worthless creature!" Cold water splashed across Shan Pu as she turned into a cat. "Go! Live out your life with the animals! You are not worthy to be an Amazon!" She turned her back on Shan Pu.

The closing door cut off the long drawn out yowl of pure misery…

0 0 0 0 0

The corridors stretched on endlessly. For all the rage they had built up in the harem room, the lack of enemies had allowed it to ebb and now, they sought only the way out.

Soun was worried about the women they had left to the Amazons, had they gotten out? It seemed like he and Genma had wandered through this maze for hours…

Had they taken the fortress?

The biggest problem with Genma being a Panda was his silence, and they were too eager to find the exit to take the time for him to write a sign.

Then, they turned a corner and came to a large set of double doors.

"What do you think?" Genma's sign asked.

"Maybe it's the exit." Soun said softly.

They pushed the doors open carefully. A golden light poured out from inside, along with a delicious smell. Mouths watering, they pushed the door open further.

A huge banquet lay on a table surrounded by piles of gold and gems. Their jaws dropped as they took in the massive wealth and drifted towards the table. Genma took out his battered sign from earlier and held it up again.

They started to descend on the table when a querulous voice stopped them.

"You leave my treasures alone!"

A small shriveled man in a white gi covered in food stains emerged from one of the piles of gold. His head was covered by a dirty bandanna and cracked glasses covered his eyes.

"_Your_ treasures!" A second voice called. From another pile crawled another shriveled figure, this one in a filthy black gi. His long white hair was knotted and unkempt and his mustache almost reached his toes. "Those are _my_ treasures!" He picked up a jug of something from the table and smashed it over the first figure's head.

The shriveled, almost white panda began a furious fight with the second figure as Soun and Genma simply stared in horror while finding their voices.

The closing door shut off the horrified scream of "Noooooo–"

0 0 0 0 0

Akane was not happy. She had been cut off from everyone and lost in this maze for what seemed hours. Her ribbons lashed behind her like tails as she stalked the halls. She'd tried lashing out at the walls but no matter what she had tried, nothing made a dent.

The place was really freaking her out though. The whole area felt strange, like currents blew through it constantly though there wasn't a breath of wind. It felt like the shadows moved when she wasn't looking, or like the walls slowly shifted place around her. Even the auras she could see seemed... misty.

An explosion from ahead of her drew her attention and she ran for the noise. Several more explosions followed by a scream came before she saw the large double doors. She burst through into a scene straight out of hell.

Lightning arced around the room, and Akane froze for a moment to take stock. What she saw horrified her. The source of the lightning was a figure she recognized as Makoto, but the surges were completely uncontrolled, the last gasps of power leaking from her hands as she knelt, coughing up blood from a vicious stomach wound. A faint noise made it to her ears past the thunderclaps and she turned.

Rei wasn't in any better shape. She was impaled by her wrists to a steel I-beam. Blood streamed down her face from empty eye sockets, while her two crows sat on her shoulders relishing the treats. It was obvious from the amount of blood streaming from her wrists that the arteries had been severed, and the fact she was still barely alive as the crows picked at her made Akane nauseous.

Something hit her in the back and she whirled. The round object had two long tassels of blond hair. Akane didn't even try to turn it over, fearing what she'd see. Another scream drew her attention to Minako, busy dying while suspended from dozens of gold heart linked chains.

Then, she saw Ami running towards her. "Akane! Run!"

A shadow moved behind the terrified girl as Akane found herself unable to move. She couldn't even scream as the shadow caught up to Ami. Bloody blades appeared from her chest as she was lifted off her feet. Blood fountained from her mouth as she reached towards Akane, then she convulsed as the blades were ripped from her. She landed in a heap at the shadows' feet.

Akane stared in horror at the blades in the shadow's hands, the ebony dragons seeming to drink in the light, then she saw the black fuku the figure wore and her eyes reluctantly rose to see the figures face.

Jade green eyes met hers coldly from under a jet black dragon. A vicious smile graced the blood red lips. "Well, hello Akane. Have you come to 'save me' too? It's much, much too late for that."

"Zhu Shu," she whispered in disbelief.

"No, not anymore. Chaos has become my lover and Death my follower. I was reborn in the darkness. I am the Black Dragon."

"Oh, no... no... no..." Akane's swords dropped from nerveless fingers as the other girl stepped up to her. One sword came to rest on her collar bone as tears ran down her face.

"So, you are powerless to fight me, though you know you alone may stop me." Zhu Shu's laugh was tinged with madness. "So instead, I shall make you my play toy…"

Akane's sobs were silenced as the door closed behind her…

0 0 0 0 0

Zhu Shu mistrusted the mists around her. She sensed too many currents through the fog, too many shifting auras. It was definitely a spell of some kind.

Time had been distorted in this place, and ever since they had entered from above. She had heard strange noises and echoing sounds that were so faint as to be barely audible. Flashes of light had also come briefly through the fog.

Closing her eyes, she felt along the traceries of energy around her, invisible walls bright in her mind. She sensed Akane and Shan Pu faintly, but the walls around her prevented any real sense of direction.

Enough was enough. She drew her swords and began a dance. Reaching out with her mind, she grabbed a hold of the energies around her and swirled them into a vortex with a cry of "Ashura's Call!"

As more and more of the energy was drawn into her vortex, the fog around her began to roil and tendrils tried to reach for her. They were swept up into her dance as well. As her energy levels continued to rise she began the steps of one of her family's strongest techniques. According to her grandfather, the Amazons had long ago been taught part of the technique, but only her family knew how to do both halves of the Ascending Dragon.

She separated her chi as she danced, filtering out the angry hot chi of her frustration and the energies around her from the cool calmness of her normal self. A spiral began to form on the floor around her, half hot melted rock, half frozen stone. As she reached the center of her spiral, she released her hold on both sides and channeled them upwards with a shout of "Hiryuu Shoten Ha!"

For a second the fog fought, but it was unable to resist the howling call of the vortex and with a loud roar, it was sucked into the whirlwind that erupted through the roof of the large room that was revealed. Zhu Shu settled softly back to the ground, stumbling slightly as the last of the fog was stripped from the room. Despite the best restoratives the Amazons had given her, her chi was still far too low after yesterday's run.

She found herself in the middle of a maze painted in blood. Stairs led upwards to the shattered roof, ending where Zhu Shu's tornado had ripped it apart. Another set of stairs led downwards deeper into the castle. As she scanned the room, her eyes fell on a massive pile of fur lying on a pile of what smelled to be catnip. She frowned. Someone had anticipated dealing with a smilodon, and that meant this was definitely a trap.

Large double doors stood across the room from the stairs. The maze on the floor seemed to exit directly to it. Cautiously, she stepped across to it, taking care not to step on any of the blood lines. The door was ajar, but beyond it, only darkness could be seen. She stepped through and tried to let her eyes adjust. The sense of Shan Pu and Akane's presence was immediately obvious, but she still could not see anything beyond the single bright bar of light from the door behind her.

"Zhu Shu?" Akane's voice came faintly from somewhere in the darkness in front of her. "Zhu Shu, help! I can't move! I've caught my foot in something."

"Akane?" She stepped forward warily, peering into the darkness. Was that her moving at the very edge of the light?

Then bright flares of fire surrounded her as the door slammed shut. A hexagram burned in the darkness around her. She tried to jump out of it, but she ran into a barrier, her swords sparking furiously as they skittered along a wall of force. Mad laughter rang out around her as the darkness was ripped away, revealing a throne room. Her friends were chained to the walls on either side, blank unseeing eyes staring forward. A tall shadowy figure sat in the throne, his form obscured by the haze of darkness that crawled around him.

"Welcome to my mousetrap, Little Mouse," he said, his voice chilling her as it seemed to crawl up and down her spine.

Zhu Shu tried to draw the energy in for a second time, but to her horror, she felt her chi draining away, eaten away second by second by the hexagram.

"I anticipated that, Child of the Dragon. The spells around you feed on you. The harder you attempt to escape, the more they will drain. Do not try too hard. My Master wishes you alive, and you would not enjoy the side effects of a resurrection spell."

Zhu Shu hacked at the barrier, but once again, her swords simply skittered along the unseen wall, drawing sparks. In despair she looked at her friends, feeling helpless as the spell drained away her strength. Her knees gave way as she slowly settled to the floor, hands pressed against the invisible wall.

"Fiend! Villain! Defiler of defenseless women!" A voice came behind her. She turned to see Kuno standing in the doorway. "Prepare to face the Wrath of Blue Thunder!"

Blue light crawled along the naked blade in Kuno's hands…

"So the fool has finally made his entrance." the shadowy figure said. "I had expected you much sooner." He made a motion with his left hand as shadows leapt for Kuno.

The glowing blade slid around and sliced the shadows into shreds. Wails and shrieks could be heard faintly as the shadows faded.

"Your sorcery is useless against one who bears the Demon's Fang, villain. With this ancient blade my ancestor slew the Shadowslayer, a mighty ninja who sought his Daimyo's life. Long have I awaited a quest worthy of it, and today, it shall drink your blood."

The shadowy figure had sat on the throne looking curiously at Kuno as he postured. "You don't really talk that way normally, do you?"

"Fiend! Draw your blade lest I slay you out of hand!"

The shadowy figure stood with a chuckle. "This should be entertaining." He drew a long Tai Chi sword, its blade black as midnight. "You stand no chance against one who may not be slain by mortal weapons." He assumed a stance.

Kuno's eyes narrowed as he took in his opponent. Nabiki had warned him the fiend feared his blade, so he knew the wizard was bluffing. With a loud cry, he attacked.

Blades met with a crash of thunder, blue light clashing with the shadowy haze around the other sword, and both opponents strove to overpower the other. With a grunt, Kuno forced the shadow back.

Lightning fast thrusts met and blocked each other as they danced around one another in a lethal contest, neither lowering their guard even a fraction. Zhu Shu looked on amazed. Kuno may have been limited in his ability to deal with other arts, but when it came to the blade, he was every bit as skilled as he claimed. Had he ever fought her seriously, one sword to one sword, he might have been her match…

Yet as she watched, she realized Kuno wasn't done with surprises yet. He had a purposefulness she had never seen before and every stroke seemed precise, without the carelessness he exhibited so often with the bokken.

She watched as he drew his opponent into a momentary bind that resulted in them both backing up a few steps and he unleashed a call of "I strike!"

His sword flashed into a blur of thrusts as his opponent tried to dodge, but air pressure ripped into him, driving him back. He did a flip to escape Kuno's range and landed, the tatters of shadows ripped from him flowing back to rejoin. The shadow being laughed. "I told you, no mortal weapon may slay me!" He threw back his head and laughed.

Kuno smiled. "I bear no mortal weapon, demon," he said as his sword pulsed with power. "I am a _Kuno_. The sword of my fathers has ever been an instrument of the gods, forged from the fang of a Lord of the Youkai for the defense of humanity from the likes of you!"

The shadow's eyes glowed as he resumed a stance. "Then kill me if you can, mortal. I have slain far greater devil hunters than you."

"You shall kill no more. I will defend my goddess to my last breath." Tatewaki said quietly.

The blade pulsed again, almost shaking the room with its noiseless throb.

The room darkened once more as the Shadow seemed to suck in all the light, his sword growing even darker as blood red runes began to glow with a dusky light.

"Then come, Devil Hunter. My sword will enjoy the taste of your soul!"

The shadow lunged, the last vestiges of light vanishing as the room plunged into darkness…

Then there was a flare of light as she heard the sound of shattering steel.

Kuno stood, his back to the demon, the katana in his hand no longer a slim blade, but a massive falchion, held easily in one hand as he slowly straightened from the finished form. The same blood red runes as the shadow's sword burned along its black surface for a moment before they faded and the sword began returning to silver. Kuno ignored it as he turned to the shadow figure, still frozen in a lunge, its shattered sword extended.

With all the slowness of a toppling tree, the shadow's head tilted forward, farther and father, until it began to fall. Then, with a soundless explosion, it vanished.

The Hexagram on the floor around Zhu Shu flared into brilliance than faded and was gone. Around her, one by one, the others woke from their blank eyed stares, their shackles vanishing in puffs of dark smoke.

A hand reached down to offer Zhu Shu a help up. She took Kuno's hand in wonder, noting that he had sheathed what was once again a katana.

"Art thou well?" he asked gently.

"Yes, Zhu Shu thanks for freeing her."

Kuno blushed. "There is no need for thanks, fair goddess. It is the duty of any true samurai."

Zhu Shu nodded, staring at Kuno in wonder. Why was he so different than normal?

"Kuno? Are you feeling ok?" Akane asked seeing the strange exchange.

Kuno turned and bowed. "Indeed, my beauteous Akane. I have never felt better. I have slain the evil sorcerer to save my Chinese Goddess and free you from the evil spell he cast on both you and my sister. Now pray, let me give to you the Kiss of True Love which will break forever its evil hold on you and free you from this desire for thine own sex which it hath cursed thee with!"

Zhu Shu sighed. She should have known. She winced as a foot and a bon buri connected with Kuno's head from either side.

0 0 0 0 0

They managed to drag the Saber-tooth tiger off the pile of catnip and get him groggily awake before dousing him with hot water, then the Amazons found them, having been blocked from entry to the outer room until the death of the shadow. Along the way, they had found the treasury, and with the aid of the girls Soun and Genma had freed, they had emptied it.

Daylight was fading a half hour later as they crested the pass, burdened with the wealth of the Musk. Tao-Ching kept looking at the sky as they crept along the mountain path.

"What are you looking for, cousin?" Shan Pu asked.

The roar of several jets passing overhead drowned out his reply. As they dove past the crest, several white plumes erupted from their undersides and streaked down towards the Musk fortress. Several loud explosions ripped through the dusk as a fireball rose above the pass. The ground shuddered violently as a loud groaning noise followed the initial explosion. A massive cracking noise sundered the air as they watched the stone plateau separate from the mountainside. For a long frozen moment, the castle tilted crazily over the ravine, then with a rumble of shattered rock, it fell into the gulf. A massive plume of dust obscured the area where it fell, but the rumbles of its destruction shook the pass, dislodging boulders and dust. Then the massive noise faded into an overwhelming silence.

Tao-Ching grinned at the stunned group. "That cost a fortune, but it was worth it."

Ke Lun laughed as she turned and led the way down the mountain…


	8. Chapter 6: Hentai and Headaches

Chapter Six: Hentai and Headaches

Ke Lun threw down a golden goblet in disgust. "They're not here!" The long black ears she had acquired as a bunny-girl twitched in annoyance. "Neither of them!"

Lo Shen looked up from another pile, giving the young looking elder a nod and making her own bunny ears wave. "I fear you are correct. There are numerous items of a magical nature, but not the two we seek."

They both looked out over the enormous piles of treasure brought back by the horde of girls freed from the Musk Fortress. The village had rejoiced when the small war party had returned victorious with the freed slaves and the captured wealth, cheering their triumphant entry. The girls had been quickly settled into a hastily opened barracks, the old building having been unused in a generation due to the slow dwindling of the Amazon's numbers. The Elders had viewed the addition of a potential population boost with favor, and the addition to the treasury even more so. Even as Lo Shen and Ke Lun had scoured the recovered loot, they had been sorting and categorizing the various items for storage.

Ke Lun scowled, looking out over the various piles with an expression of distaste. "Much as I hate to contemplate talking to that thing that once was a Musk, perhaps he knows where they have gone and why the prince was nowhere to be found in the fortress."

Lo Shen tossed back her long lavender hair, giving Ke Lun a raised eyebrow. "He can no longer help what he is, Ke Lun. The spell cast upon him has turned him into little more than an animal unable to control his base instincts. Lust and violence are about all he can express."

"And you expect me to show him compassion for this?" Ke Lun gave the Loremaster a hard look.

"I would never expect that from you for any enemy of the Amazon's, Warleader. I merely am explaining why he is how he is. Whatever has been done to him, he is still a rabid dog and will need to be put down." Lo Shen stated with a small frown.

Ke Lun nodded. "Shan Pu remembers him from her encounter with the prince. He was part of the royal guard. Hopefully, he will have the answers we need. Even if we have to twist it out of him."

She led the way out of the treasury attached to the elder's hall, and across the square to the prison, passing by the hut they had given to the visitors from Nerima as they went to interrogate Mint.

0 0 0 0 0

Inside the hut, Zhu Shu watched the elders walk past as she helped Kasumi make dinner. She had helped settle in the returning fighters, doing her best to be cheerful despite her tiredness and the bleak faces those who had been captured wore. She had avoided prying as to exactly what had happened in the fortress to put such looks of despondency on the faces of her friends and loved ones, but she had watched them worriedly all the way back to the village.

Akane currently was sitting and looking out a window distractedly, not noticing she was stroking Shan Pu's hair, the Amazon's head resting on Akane's thigh as she slept.

Zhu Shu smiled softly at the evidence of unconscious feelings, but the look on everyone's faces still worried her. She was hoping that sooner or later, someone would want to talk.

Finally, unable to stand waiting any longer, she went and set down near Akane. Akane started as she realized Zhu Shu was there, and for just a second, fear filled her eyes. Zhu Shu blinked in confusion.

"Akane. What's wrong?" she asked in Chinese, too impatient to try and formulate the question in Japanese.

Akane took a deep shuddering breath. "I know what I saw there wasn't real, that it was just something that thing showed us to torture us, but it was so real." Akane replied, also in Mandarin.

Shan Pu opened an eye and gave Zhu Shu an equally forlorn look as she curled up tighter against Akane. The Japanese girl just continued to absently stroke her hair.

"It was just a phantom, Akane. Shadows thrown by that evil thing." Zhu Shu said softly, saddened that the shadow creature had chosen visions of her to torture Akane with.

"I know Zhu Shu. But I– I can't get what it showed me out of my head."

Shan Pu put her hand on Akane's knee. "It's okay Ai Ren. It showed me evil things as well. It showed everyone I love turned against me." Shan Pu's voice trembled slightly with her emotion.

Akane finally noticed what she was doing and stopped stroking Shan Pu's hair, but she didn't move the Amazon's head from her leg. "That's sort of what I saw too, but it was more gruesome than just rejection." She turned haunted eyes to Zhu Shu. "I saw you killing Ami and saw how you had slaughtered the other girls, and I couldn't raise my sword against you, knowing that somehow, what you were doing was all my fault. I had made you become the Black Dragon." She shuddered.

Zhu Shu reached out to caress her face. "It was a nightmare, Akane. Shadows meant to cause you as much pain as they could." She felt Shan Pu's hand find hers and squeeze. "I'm still me, right? Still Zhu Shu? Not a cold blooded murderer?"

Akane nodded. "Yes."

"And that horrible place has been destroyed?"

"Yes."

"And we have returned as triumphant heroes?"

"I suppose." Her long pink ears twitched as she smiled. "Except for the fact that we're still bunny-girls."

Zhu Shu smiled, and hearing a faint sound above her, switched back to Japanese. "Is okay. Zhu Shu think ears are cute."

Akane gave her a weak grin. "Why'd you switch back to Japanese?" she asked in Mandarin.

"Is not polite have conversation with friends if not all understand." Zhu Shu replied.

"Is why Shan Pu talk Japanese when talk to Ai Ren. No hide what say from Ai Ren who not know Shan Pu language. Would not be right."

Ranma appeared from the top of the window, hanging down to look in, having finally come down from where he'd been sitting on the roof peak since they had gotten back. "You talking about me?"

Shan Pu looked up from Akane's lap and smiled. "Ni hao, other Ai Ren. Shan Pu misses you."

Ranma shrugged, a move which cost him his perch on the roof. With a startled "whups" he vanished below the window, almost immediately standing and brushing himself off. "Damn thatch." He muttered before looking back in the window. "I had some things to think about."

Akane gave him a sad smile. "Bad time at the fortress too?"

Ranma shrugged again. "I guess. I don't think I killed anyone, but things were way to fast for me to be sure, and what happened to me when we got separated, well…"

Akane nodded. "I understand. What I saw was horrible too. That's what we were talking about."

Ranma nodded and scratched his head. "I just wish I knew what was behind all that. Why go to such trouble just to capture Zhu Shu? I don't get it."

Akane's eyes looked over at the Chinese girl for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Perhaps there's more to Zhu Shu than we know."

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Zhu Shu is Zhu Shu. Heir of Clan Dragon. _Servant_ to Imperial Court. Not care what others say. Zhu Shu is Zhu Shu."

"Oh come on, Zhu-chan. It's the only thing that makes sense. Why else would anyone want to capture you?" Akane protested, drawing curious stares from Shan Pu and Ranma at the obvious fact that Akane knew something she hadn't told them.

"Zhu Shu not know. Plan to stop at home village before go Hong Kong. Maybe find answers there."

Akane grimaced. "You still plan to go to Hong Kong? After all _this?_" Her tone let everyone know she was not happy with the plan. "You said those three were from the same group that attacked us here. What if it's a trap?

"Zhu Shu still must go. Need to find answers. Cannot find them in Japan."

"So what are we going to be looking for in Hong Kong?" Ranma asked, eager for something to take his mind off the fortress.

"You not. Zhu Shu needs go alone, Ranma." Zhu Shu said firmly. At the visible disagreement in his face, she continued. "Zhu Shu simply seek to find out more information. Should not be any danger. Zhu Shu only plan to scout." She smiled at his raised eyebrow. "Ranma and Akane must go home, spend time together. Zhu Shu will join as soon as can. Not think take more than week."

"And why no take blood-sister?"

Zhu Shu looked back to where Shan Pu had sat up and was giving her a hard look, her own displeasure at not being included obvious.

"Because is matter for Zhu Shu. Shan Pu need prepare to move Japan." Zhu Shu stated.

"Great-grandmother will not like." Shan Pu warned, giving the impression that if Zhu Shu didn't include her, she'd make sure Ke Lun knew. Luckily, Zhu Shu had already dealt with that.

Zhu Shu shook her head. "No, but Ke Lun give permission. Please Shan Pu. Not want argue. Must be done."

Shan Pu gave her a look that told her she wasn't happy, but she conceded she'd been out maneuvered.

An explosion outside brought them all back to the window to see the makeshift jail collapsing and Ke Lun cussing up a storm as she lifted herself up off the ground. Before her in the square a blur sought vainly to escape from Lo Shen, the rabbit eared girl flickering from spot to spot around the square to block the blur's escape. Both of the elders turned bunny-girl were naked.

"Great-grandmother?" Shan Pu asked, taking in the figure hauling herself to her feet. With a last curse, Ke Lun lashed out with the cane she was still clutching and pinned the blur to the ground. There was a howl of agony as the blur resolved into Mint, now writhing around the cane that had pierced his shoulder.

"Enough of this! Where is the Kettle!" Ke Lun shouted.

Mint's eyes focused on Ke Lun. "Service me and maybe I'll tell you, bitch!"

The staff twisted as Akane and Ranma winced. Mint screamed again.

"Be glad I haven't just killed you for trying to rape me, beast! Now where is the Kettle!" Ke Lun hissed. Amazons around the square focused eyes filled with anger on the boy as Ke Lun twisted the cane again.

Lo Shen stepped up and placed her hands on either side of the screaming boy's head, muttering a cryptic phrase. Glimmers of light sparkled around her fingers as Mint suddenly calmed. His eyes glowed with a soft light.

"The Kettle has been lost for generations, gone since the days of the Amazon's crimes against the Musk Dynasty. It was stolen by your spy, the one called Happosai. The prince is no more, but the _princess_ has taken the ladle and the bucket to find the lost Kettle. She has been gone for days. You are too late! Herb shall find the Kettle and return and when she does, I will make her my playtoy and _I_ will rule the Musk! You will bow before me, woman! All will tremble beneath the heel of King Mint!" Mad laughter came from the still form. "Herb will learn her place at my feet and I will be the true Dragon Emperor!"

A sudden wave of blackness seemed to hurl both Lo Shen and Ke Lun back as Mint rose into the air, still laughing madly. He hung in the air, frozen, as his eyes darkened to pools of black ink and his laughter cut off abruptly. A voice chill as the grave came from his lips as his eyes fixed on the Loremaster. "So, the Amazons are a thorn in my side still." The voice chuckled darkly. "Be warned, woman. Next time your tribe meddles in my plans, I will do more than make you rabbits."

With a sickening crunch, Mint's head twisted around nearly 180 degrees and he stared at Zhu Shu. A smile graced his lips for a last moment before whatever force held him aloft vanished and the limp body fell to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth.

"Damn." Lo Shen said. "The sorcerer must have felt my probes. Effective way to ensure we ask no more questions."

"We had what we seek. The Kettle is not in Scorpion's hands." Ke Lun spat on the dead boy.

"It is almost worse. We cannot ask the demon master where he misplaced it! Indeed, we have been celebrating that he was sealed away for all time." Lo Shen pointed out

"Is there no way to contact him through the seal?" another elder asked, distinguished from the other amazons only by her cane. Like Ke Lun and Lo Shen, she had been returned to youth as a rabbit girl due to the combined curses of the rabbit water brought by the invaders, and the water from the Spring of Drowned Young Girl Zhu Shu had retrieved to allow them to revert to semi-human.

"We might conjure his spirit to speak with had we a sister with the ability to perform a séance, but there has not been an Amazon witch since the loss of Pe Kabu." Lo Shen answered.

Zhu Shu looked up from where she was staring at the dead wolf-boy, as stunned by the event as the other Nerimans. With a swallow, she spoke.

"Revered Elders? I may know of a witch. She is a Shinto Priestess who has abilities with spirits." she said in Chinese

"A Shinto? She may indeed be able to help if she can summon the spirits." Lo Shen nodded approvingly.

Akane whispered, "You don't mean Rei, do you?"

Zhu Shu shook her head. To the elders she added, "In my travels, I met a priestess who takes care of the ill at a school. Sakura-san appeared to me to be surrounded by spirits. She said she is a spirit magnet."

Lo Shen nodded. "That would do nicely. I have met several Japanese witches who are quite skilled. We shall see about getting Tao-Ching to take you to Japan post haste."

Zhu Shu held up a small, tiger striped device she had retrieved from behind her back. "No need, Revered Elder. I have a friend who can get me there much faster."

0 0 0 0 0

Night was falling by the time Lum arrived a half hour later, and the appearance of the tiger-striped saucer above the village caused quite a stir. The Oni herself was almost instantly besieged with Amazon girls begging her to teach them to fly, and almost universal disappointment when they found out it wasn't a martial arts technique. Still, the alien girl amused the Amazons enormously by spending the time while Zhu Shu prepared shocking Kuno whenever he tried to embrace his newly found "demon goddess."

The trip back to Japan was quick, Lum chattering aimlessly as she filled Zhu Shu in on everything that had happened recently, detailing a strange dream she had apparently shared with Ataru and her friends, courtesy of a dream demon. Zhu Shu was too distracted to do more than listen and nod every so often; worried about dealing with the ghost of someone everyone seemed to fear so, but Lum more than made up for her silence.

Nurse Sakura was willing to help once Zhu Shu explained her dilemma, and a short hop in the saucer later found them on the slopes of a non-descript mountain by the rock sealing Happosai's cave. Zhu Shu waited by nervously as Sakura prepared her ritual. She had never spoken to a spirit before and her memory called up all kinds of tales she had heard that one had to be careful speaking to one. She almost wished that Ke Lun had insisted on coming along to make sure she didn't screw up.

Finally, Sakura had finished her ritual, and Zhu Shu found herself standing before the small spirit of the man so many people seemed to dread. She blinked. How could such a small man be so terrible?

Then... she learned why so many _women_ hated Happosai. With a cry of "Sweeto!" the ghost latched onto her chest, his face burrowing through her dress to press between her breasts.

With a cry of disgust, Zhu Shu heaved the lecherous spirit away. "Pervert!"

Happosai hovered in front of her, wringing his hands in anticipation. "Don't be like that sweetie! Let a poor old man have his comforts in his old age!"

She hit the ghost on the head with her sword and drove it face first into the ground as it dove for her again. "You answer Zhu Shu question!"

Happosai popped up from the ground. "Sure sugar! Just let me have a hug!" He started to float towards her.

Zhu Shu's blade ignited in gold fire as she pinned the ghost to the ground once more. "You will answer, or Zhu Shu will make hurt very bad. You steal item Zhu Shu need. You tell where is now."

"Stole? I'm just a poor old man just trying to get by!" Happosai gave her big puppy dog eyes. "So put upon by my wayward apprentices."

"_Kaisufuu_! You take from Musk. Where is now!" Zhu Shu demanded.

Happosai got cagy. "What's in it for me?"

"Nothing! You no tell, Zhu Shu cut to ribbons!"

Happosai floated up through the swords. "You can only touch my spirit form if I let you. Nothing for nothing."

The spirit pulled out a ghostly pipe as it lounged back on nothing. He puffed on it while Zhu Shu deliberated.

At last reaching the inescapable conclusion that she wouldn't be able to beat it out of him, no matter how appealing the idea was, Zhu Shu glared. "Fine. What pervert want?"

"Well, I can very well guess that freeing me is out." He gave her a leer. "So I want your panties!"

"What?" Zhu Shu blinked in amazement.

"You heard me sweetie. If I can't get out, I want something to comfort me in my prison."

Sakura raised her eyebrow. "That is one perverted ghost."

Lum nodded. "I wonder if my zaks would put any sense into him?"

Sakura shook her head. "If he's like my uncle, nothing would faze him."

Lum made a sour face at the mention of Cherry, the wondering monk who was a regular bane of her existence.

Zhu Shu meanwhile had bludgeoned Happosai into the dirt again, but the ghost just floated up and laughed. "I'm not going to tell you until you give me your panties!"

Zhu Shu cursed at how ineffectual her blows were and growled. "Fine! You tell Zhu Shu where _Kaisufuu_ and she give panties!"

"No. You give me my silky darlings and then I'll tell you."

Zhu Shu huffed, then reached up under her dress and slipped out of her underwear, throwing it at the perverted ghost. "There! Now tell!"

Happosai clutched the panties and seemed to almost shiver in pleasure. "I lost it gaming." He said as he laughed maniacally. "I have no idea where to find it, but the Ladle will show the way!" He continued laughing as he faded away, taking Zhu Shu's panties with him.

"Damn!" Sakura said. "I lost him."

Zhu Shu stared at where the ghost had been in fury. Finally, she tilted back her head and screamed "_HENTAI!"_

With a huff, she turned and stalked back to the saucer, followed by Lum and Sakura. As the saucer hummed once more into the air, a sound like faint laughter could be heard.

The symbol and charm laden boulder shuddered, then cracks slowly began to form on its surface, glowing with a ruddy inner light. Almost imperceptibly, they began to grow wider as a faint sound could faintly be heard.

"_..."_

0 0 0 0 0

The return to the village was a quiet affair, Lum realizing Zhu Shu was in no mood to talk. The Oni girl could almost see the steam rising from Zhu Shu following the meeting with Happosai, and even offering Zhu Shu a pair of her tiger striped bikini bottoms had been met with silence. Finally as they were coming in towards the village, Zhu Shu sighed heavily and apologized for being in such a bad mood, asking if Lum could stay long enough for her to visit her home village for a short while before dropping her off in Hong Kong tomorrow. Lum was certainly happy enough to do so, in hopes it would cheer Zhu Shu up. Besides, she hadn't had any other plans tonight. Ataru was currently in bed recovering from the shocking she had given him following the dream demon affair, and she didn't expect him to wake up until tomorrow, when she had a date planned. She spent the night at the village as Zhu Shu met with the elders

The tone of the elders when Zhu Shu informed them of Happosai's words was grim, and they asked to be allowed to discuss it while Zhu Shu slept. Zhu Shu had nodded, uncertain as to why the elders were being so respectful, and had mulled it over as she fell asleep, not liking the possible conclusions she was drawing. She didn't want to believe the possibilities Artemis had raised, but too many little things screamed that others around her knew things about her that she didn't.

Next morning, Lo Shen came to apprise them of what the elders had discussed.

"At the very least, we know the _Kaisufuu_ is in Japan, so Herb will have to go there." Lo Shen said as the Nerima crew finished breakfast. "So we must ask you for aid once again. We have too few trained warriors to spare to send after Herb. The attack has left us somewhat vulnerable, and Ke Lun and Shan Pu are moving to Japan for now, which will leave us without our Warleader and Champion." Lo Shen tilted her head as she emphasized the point. "There likely will be other attacks once the bandit lords of the lower lands hear of our reduction of the Musk fortress and the freeing of their slaves. So many defenseless women in one place will make them forget the lessons we taught them ten years ago." She shook her head. "While a gun is only useful if it can hit a target, we're pretty short of the kind of armor needed if they bring rockets, like last time. It was just too expensive to haul in the materials to build an armored wall, though your victory has changed that. Until we have the time to get the defenses built, we're going to need every warrior we have. We must find Herb and retrieve the _Chisuitton_. Only with it may we recover the _Kaisufuu_ and restore ourselves to relatively normal."

"If you can call being a bunny-girl when you get wet, normal." Nabiki said dryly.

"Yes. Curses do not cancel each other out." Lo Shen looked at Ranma. "I fear there is no cure for you, child. We have had unfortunates before who have fallen into the spring of drowned man. The attempt to cure was worse than the curse. Had someone apprised us that you did not know this, we could have told you earlier."

Ranma met her gaze and shrugged. "If I find one, I find one." He glanced over at Akane for a second before he looked back down. "I'm kinda getting used to it."

Lo Shen nodded. "If we can recover the _Chisuitton_, we can at least unlock the curses and be ourselves sometimes."

Tao-Ching cracked his knuckles. "I'll find Herb, Loremaster. I… owe him for many things. I have means for finding which ship he may travel on. I will also see about having those supplies you want airlifted in."

"Very well. I apologize for the troubles you have had here this visit. We will hope to have a much better reception for you when we host Shan Pu's weddings. Ke Lun and Shan Pu will join you in Japan once they have their house packed up. Tao-Ching, you have my email address. Let us know at once when you have found the _Chisuitton_."

"Yes elder." he answered distractedly.

Akane blinked. "You have email?"

Lo Shen smiled. "A notebook with a satellite phone. A small indulgence of mine that keeps me abreast of the world. I traded a few old bracelets to an anthropologist for it… How do you think we sent Zhu Shu's paperwork to Japan so quickly? We control the only way in or out of this region, so when her request came in by courier, I made arrangements to speed it along."

"Oh."

"What's your email address?" Nabiki asked.

"Amazonwiseass at Joketsuzoku dot net. I bought a domain too."

Nabiki rolled her eyes.

0 0 0 0 0

After the meeting, Akane watched the tiger stripped saucer vanish into the south and sighed. She still wished Zhu Shu were coming back to Tokyo with them instead of heading off to Hong Kong and who knows what, but the little Chinese girl had been adamant. She looked back over the Amazon village and sighed again. Before leaving, Zhu Shu had told her that Ke Lun and Shan Pu wanted to see her. She was nervous about meeting Shan Pu alone in her home. She hoped eventually she'd get used to the fact that she was betrothed to the kawaii Amazon. Still… she certainly was curvaceous, and very appealing when naked…

Chalking the stray thought up to the desires that had woken up when she had vamped Ranma after her match with Kodachi, she looked over at him. When they got back to Japan and she had some privacy…

"I'm going to go see Shan Pu." she said, wrenching her mind off the developing fantasy.

He nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna help get the plane packed. I wonder why Zhu Shu was so insistent you see Shan Pu alone."

Akane shrugged. "I don't know, but she seemed a little worried. I guess I'll find out when I see Shan Pu."

She trudged into the village and to the large hut off the central square where Ke Lun and her great-granddaughter lived and noted the signs of packing going on. She knocked politely on the door and waited till Ke Lun invited her in.

"Thank you for coming, Akane." Ke Lun said as she closed the door behind her. As she crossed to the table and noted Akane's curious looks around for her absent great-granddaughter, Ke Lun smiled.

"I'm afraid Shan Pu is off running an errand for me at the moment. A bit of kindness on my part, I suppose you could say." She sat down at the table and steepled her fingers. "I'm afraid we have to ask you to make a very hard decision for us, and Shan Pu is dreading your response. Your shared fiancé has left us with a bit of a mess." Pointing over to a basket on the hearth, she sighed. "In there, you'll find the reason Shan Pu is so upset over Ranma's condition."

Akane raised an eyebrow and stepped over to the basket. As she did, the lid popped up slightly and a pair of luminous eyes blinked at her. Then the basket started to tip over, and with a surprised "Meow" a small pink and lavender kitten rolled out to land at Akane's feet. She immediately stood with an air of "I intended to do that," and looked up at Akane. Akane couldn't overcome her immediate impulse to pick the kitten up and coo "Oh, she's adorable!"

Ke Lun smiled. "She's Shan Pu's betrothal gift to you and Ranma. Therefore, we have a bit of a quandary. Ranma is terrified of cats, and Shan Pu is rather _attached_ to this one, which is why we have to ask _you_ for help."

Akane looked down at the kitten, smiling at the small bells that mimicked Shan Pu's hair ornaments. "Oh, I can see why Shan Pu loves her. She's so _cute!_"

The kitten purred and bumped her head against Akane's hand. She submitted gracefully and started petting.

Unseen by Akane, Ke Lun nodded approvingly.

"So daughter-in-law, what shall we do with this hideous beast? Shall I dispose of her?" she asked lightly, as if it was of no import to her.

The kitten turned wide eyes on Akane, and poured on the purrs. She stood up on Akane's hand and supported herself on Akane's nose as she looked Akane in the eyes. _Submit!_

Akane shook her head as she hugged the kitten. "No, you can't kill her! She's just a kitten!"

"Yet Ranma is scared of cats."

"She's just a kitten! Surely he can't be scared of kittens?"

Ke Lun shook her head. "I had to explain this to Shan Pu as well. The Neko-ken leaves its victims with a phobia of any feline. No Amazon magic can cure a phobia, and the only other ways to cure one require a lot of time, patience, and love, or an especially strong will."

Akane nodded. "I read about that in one of the magazines at Doctor Tofu's. Something about repeated exposure."

"Yes. Small doses of the item that evokes the phobia over time can cure it, or a single traumatic event can force it to be broken. But Ranma's phobia is severe. A traumatic enough event to break the phobia may well be beyond what we can engineer." Ke Lun came over and stood before Akane. "Daughter-in-law. You must understand that it is my sincerest desire to cure Ranma of this fear. I do not like seeing my son-in-law crippled in this way, but I cannot do it alone, and as yet, Shan Pu is not able to help. I know my great-granddaughter is direct, and that you both are uncertain as to your feelings for her as of yet. Sadly, though, that means that however good her intentions, any attempts to help cure Ranma's phobia on her part would be… ill received."

Akane nodded, "You want _me_ to decide to keep the kitten in the hopes that her presence will eventually make Ranma less afraid."

"That is my intention, yes. I cannot take the rabbit's path as I do not know what would be needed to break the phobia, so I must try the slow and steady path of the turtle." She laughed, her rabbit ears shaking at the irony. "Shan Pu cannot do this because she has not yet won Ranma's heart as he has won hers. You have both of their hearts, Akane. She is hoping your love for Ranma will help where hers will not."

The kitten looked at her with big pleading eyes, blinking hopefully, and mewed as if to ask, "Please?"

Akane had to smile. The kitten was just so cute and seemed to be trying so hard to be likeable. "Shan Pu was going to give her to us as a betrothal gift?" she finally asked, looking up from the kitten with shining eyes. Her ears were perked straight up.

Ke Lun nodded. "She had hoped to give her to you after the ceremony, but…" she held out her hands in a what can you do gesture. "And now, she cannot bear the thought you might not wish her."

Akane hugged the kitten to a pleased purr. "Of course I want her! She's wonderful!"

Ke Lun smiled. "Then you accept this task? To aid in helping Ranma at least not fear _this_ cat?"

Akane missed the emphasis; too busy laughing as the kitten batted at one of her pink bunny ears. "Yes. I will try to get Ranma to overcome his fear of cats. I don't like having a fiancé who goes psychotic feline. Shan Pu acts enough like a cat as it is, I don't need Ranma doing it too."

The kitten nipped her lightly. Akane looked down. "Hey, I'm not bad mouthing cats. _Or_ Shan Pu." She looked at Ke Lun. "Intelligent little thing isn't she?"

Ke Lun nodded. "Quite. Shan Pu was heartbroken after learning of Ranma's phobia. She's grown quite attached."

"What's her name?"

"Shan Pu hasn't named her. That was for you."

Akane smiled. "Then I'll call her China. Because she's my gift from my Chinese fiancée."

Ke Lun smiled. "China sounds like a fine name. Shan Pu and I will be arranging our affairs here for a week or so before moving to Tokyo. Until then, just take care of China and try to get Ranma used to the idea of her being around."

Akane nodded. She looked up at Ke Lun and smiled warmly. "You know, when I first met you, you seemed like a mean old woman."

"I _am_ a mean old woman, Akane. Just ask anyone who opposes me. But I care for Shan Pu's happiness, and through her, yours and Ranma's. My son-in-law may be the finest warrior I've seen for his age, perhaps even as good as Wong Fei Hong, but he's still got much to learn, as do you and Shan Pu." Ke Lun shook her head. "I plan to insure that such learning takes place. This is just a first step towards undoing the harm Genma Saotome and his Master's teachings have done to Ranma. Happosai was a master of the Anything Goes School, but he was an irresponsible, dissolute wretch, and he trained both of your fathers to be the same." Ke Lun smiled. "You are fortunate indeed that Soun did not take you on a training trip such as Ranma's."

Akane smiled back. "I don't think Mom would have let him. She wasn't from a rich family like the Saotomes. I gather Genma was allowed to go to save the family from the scandals. Mom would never allow dad to commit a scandal."

Ke Lun chuckled. "I have to admire her then." She gave Akane a sympathetic look. "It is very hard to lose your mother when you are young. Shan Pu has done well, but I there are times I know she still feels Par Fume's loss intensely."

"Shan Pu's mom is dead too?" Akane asked quietly.

"Yes. She died when Shan Pu was just six years old. Bandits raided our village and while we beat them off, Par Fume was among the casualties."

The kitten meowed sadly. Akane nodded. "Mom died of an illness. I was only seven. Most of my memories of her are smiles." She petted the kitten as it nuzzled her arm, comforting. "I guess we have a little more in common than I suspected."

"Yes. In part, we are taking some time to move to give you both a chance to reflect on the changes in your life." Ke Lun reached out to touch Akane's hand. "I hope you understand what you have done. You have accepted Shan Pu as a _wife,_ Akane. By Amazon law, that is binding." she made sure Akane was looking at her. "By Amazon custom, you are _already_ married, and we don't have divorces. We are honoring your customs of the betrothal period because we are showing good faith in the alliances made, but that does not mean it is something that can be tossed aside." She paused as Akane nodded. "Shan Pu must be _your_ mate as much as Ranma's." Ke Lun said earnestly. "She forfeited her life for your love, Akane. Ranma's kiss of death was given before knowing his true status, and that has been dealt with, but you are an outland woman, Akane. I meant it when I said you saved her life. Had you not accepted her declaration of love, I would have had to watch Shan Pu be executed for breaking the law."

Akane looked away from the young seeming elder. "I– I know. I meant what I said at the ceremony. I will try to learn to love her." She sighed. "I know from Zhu Shu she is worthy of loving in many ways… and frustrating in others." Smiling, she shook her head ruefully. "Much like Ranma, I guess." She looked back at Ke Lun. "I know _she_ loves _me_, and I accept that, at least. Loving her back is going to take some time.

"Good. That is all I ask."

Akane nodded. "I owe Zhu Shu too much to do anything else, elder. She's shown me what happiness can be, and that duty doesn't always preclude it."

"A lesson she should learn herself, I think." Ke Lun smiled. "And call me Great-grandmother, Akane."

Akane smiled back. "Yes, Great-grandmother."

0 0 0 0 0

It was, of course, disastrous. China was instantly loved by Akane's sisters, and Ranma ran screaming.

It took Akane the better part of an hour to find the boy sitting in a tree outside the village following her showing off of China. She had tried most every place she could think of, the pink kitten trailing at her heels and helping her look.

"I'm sorry," he said as she approached, very carefully looking straight ahead and away from her and China. "I did hear you tell Nabiki and Kasumi that Shan Pu had gotten her for us as a betrothal gift. I _won't_ ask you not to keep her."

"Ranma, I know you don't like cats–"

"It's not that I _dislike _them, Akane." Ranma shook his head. "I used to love cats. It's that every time I see one now, I remember the yowls and the claws and the teeth in the dark. I'm six years old and back in that pit with them smothering me and clawing me and biting and chewing–" He shuddered. "I just can't help it."

Akane nodded sadly. "I know. But Ke Lun said constant mild exposure to a cat may eventually cure you of that fear. And China is as cute and harmless a kitten as you could hope to find. She's about as un-scary as you can get."

China mewed in agreement. Ranma shuddered.

"So the old woman thinks it may cure me? If I can learn to stand being around a cat?" he said finally.

"Yes. She said it's the only _sure_ way. If you're strong enough and have the will power, then you can beat the fear, instead of it beating you." Akane replied, hoping the phrasing that Ke Lun suggested would have the desired effect.

It did. Ranma stood. "Beat the fear. Yeah. Nothing can beat me."

Akane raised her eyebrow. She should have thought of that herself. It was basically a challenge to his ego. "Yes. Of course if you're such a weakling that a little bitty kitty scares you…" she added airily.

"I ain't afraid of nuthin!" He jumped down from the tree and froze as China immediately pounced on his ankle to rub and purr. "C– c– c– c– cat!"

Akane let China nuzzle for a few seconds before calling "China, here kitty." The kitten gave Ranma a forlorn look, then bounced back over to Akane.

Ranma somehow managed to form a grimace he probably thought was a smile. "S– s– s– s– s– see! N– n– n– n– no p– p– p– p roblem!"

Akane smiled. "That's wonderful." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "We're leaving in a half hour. I'm going to go get China's basket ready."

Ranma blinked and sighed as she turned to walk away. "I can do this!" he muttered to himself. "It's only a c– c– c– c– c– c– cat!" He turned and punched the tree. "I can do this!"

The tree trunk shattered and Ranma looked up in horror as the tree started to fall towards him. He narrowly dodged out of the way as Akane looked back. She smiled.

"I know you can, Ranma. Nobody can beat you!"

Ranma looked after her as she disappeared into the gate, then shrugged and chalked it up to the rest of the weird things that had happened here in China.

0 0 0 0 0

Zhu Shu stood on a cliff face overlooking the valley she had called home most of her life, reflecting on how alien it felt now. The valley was as unchanged as it ever had been, the narrow path from the village cave still leading to the high pass out of the encircling mountains, the Buddhist shrine still setting on the cliff top like an old monk, the same sounds of sheep from the fields above, the lulling splash of the waterfall… yet it was no longer home. She found herself straining for the faint sound of a horn, or the calls of people passing in the street. The familiarity was still there, but she had become a visitor... a stranger here for a single purpose.

Behind her was a small cave, secluded from the elements and the prying eyes of villagers, and accessible only by the nimble feet of two small girls… or a highly trained martial artist. The blankets on the floor were dusty, but still dry, and various small treasures of the sort valued by young girls still adorned the bare rock. Of the entire valley, only this place still felt like _hers_, this place where she and Ying-Ying had spent so much time, and so much love.

It had been here they had explored their feelings, and here as well she had sought to end her life with Ying-Ying's, and here she had erected a small shrine in Ying-Ying's memory, where every anniversary she had come in remembrance.

She knelt next to the small shrine and smiled at the wild flowers already decorating it. It looked like her grandfather had visited in anticipation of her absence.

She placed the flowers she had brought on the shrine as well and knelt to light the small brazier. Every year since Ying-Ying had died, she had done the same, yet this year, it was different. The overwhelming melancholy of Ying-Ying's absence had been replaced with a happier feeling.

She felt the faint traces of the link that still remained, and that sense of Ying-Ying's presence that still faintly clung to it as she began to burn the flowers one by one. She watched the smoke carry the spirits away to Ying-Ying and smiled.

"It is rare to see you smile, Little Mouse." her grandfather's voice said from behind her. "Particularly on this day."

Zhu Shu nodded. "Yes, Grandfather. I have found a sort of peace at last with her loss." She had known he would feel her presence and return.

Shi smiled. "I had hoped your quest would finally help such an event to occur. I am glad to see that it is happening."

Zhu Shu nodded again. "I have learned much since I left the village, Grandfather. More than I would have ever thought possible." She turned to look at him. "And much it seems I _should_ have known."

Shi raised one eyebrow. "Indeed?"

"Why do the Amazons treat Clan Dragon so reverently? I have just come from there, and I have had elders treat my words as if they are royal commands. I am the daughter of servants, yet they do not treat me as such."

Shi shook his head. "No, I expect they would not." He paused for a long moment before he seemed to reach a decision and continued. "We _are_ servants to the Emperor, Little Mouse, but we also carry the last of the true blood within us. You are the last pureblooded Heir to the Song Dynasty, the last true Empress of China. We are all descendants of Song Lin Tzu, the Dragon Empress, and those of her entourage that survived The Silencing." He sighed. "History has forgotten the past, but we have not, nor have the Joketsuzoku."

Zhu Shu closed her eyes and sighed. "I had hoped Artemis was incorrect. I do not wish to be the heir to a throne. I am content to be who I am."

Shi shook his head sadly. "You never had a choice, Little Mouse. You have always been the Heir. I fear that is why your Aunt resents you so. You are pure blood, and a Daughter of the Dragon, where she is not. I fear I did not see how much she resented you until too late, and for that I am sorry." Shi sighed. "Still, she has taught you well, though more harshly than I realized. I have been too secluded in my pagoda it seems." He smiled sadly. "Ke Lun had much to say on the topic when she visited, including that you are blood-sister to her great-granddaughter."

Zhu Shu nodded. "Great-grandmother said you approve."

Shi nodded. "I do. Though it delays your own quest, helping your blood-sister is the honorable thing to do. She says that you have taken students as well?"

"I have. They are warriors in need of instruction in the art of war. I have been teaching them to aid them in their fight against those who would enslave the world." She gave her grandfather a hard look. "As it seems our ancestors once did."

Shi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "The Moon Princess? She has been reborn?" He stepped closer. "And her Guardians?"

Zhu Shu nodded, surprised for a second before realizing that if Shi knew the true history of Lin Tzu, he would have had to have known about the Senshi. "They are my students, Grandfather." She looked away. "And one seeks to see if she can be more."

Shi nodded, unsurprised. "Mars was ever drawn to the Empress. Yet never were they wed. Her ties to the Moon Kingdom were stronger than the ties of her heart."

Zhu Shu gave her grandfather a cool look. "You know that Lin Tzu was as I am?"

Shi nodded. "Lin Tzu had more than ten wives. Yet she also fulfilled her duties and bore an heir from her own womb. You are the last of Lin Tzu's daughters. Nor are you the only daughter of Lin Tzu to feel so for other women. Your own mother did as well, yet she bore you from your father's seed." Shi sighed. "You cannot bear a child with a woman, Little Mouse. Not even with Mars"

Zhu Shu sighed. "I do not care, Grandfather. She has sought my attentions, and for so long as she desires, she will share them."

Shi sighed as well. "Very well, Little Mouse. I will not say I approve, but I will not stand against this, so long as you do not abandon your quest for a husband." He laid a hand on Zhu Shu's shoulder. "I do not object to your having a lover, Little Mouse, so long as your husband is agreeable. Ke Lun has said your blood-sister has offered you her hand as a sister-wife, and that _her_ betrothed has your interest as well. As blood-sister, her children would be yours, and your children, hers. Clan Dragon has always been strengthened by Amazon blood. Had Ke Lun accepted my attentions when we were both young, she would have been my wife. Is this not a solution you will accept?"

Zhu Shu looked down at her feet. "I– I cannot, Grandfather. Shan Pu is betrothed to another female as well. Though I love Shan Pu, it is her other betrothed, Akane, who I love more. And though I love Ranma as well, I cannot in good conscience marry with them. My heart is not divided equally between them, and that will lead to tensions I do not desire to inflict." She raised her eyes and met Shi's "And I have been told the Dragon has other plans for me."

Shi raised an eyebrow, but made no other comment.

Zhu Shu turned and undid her dress, dropping it off her shoulders to show the tattoo. "Ying-Ying showed me in dreams what the Dragon intends, Grandfather. She was the flower, Akane is the tiger, yet it is with the other symbols that my ribbons are entwined. My quest will not be finished until those symbols are revealed as the people they represent." She turned to look at Shi more directly. "You are the one who told me the Dragon had marked me, Grandfather, and you have always taught me that the Dragon will guide and protect us. I will go where the Dragon wills, and hope that it is not the bleak and loveless future I have seen for so long."

"Put your dress back on, Little Mouse. I know the patterns of your tattoo _all _too well." Shi turned to look back out over the cliff behind the small shrine as Zhu Shu refastened her dress. "Very well." he continued. "I will not push you in your quest for now." He looked down the high cliff, his eyes focusing on a spot at its bottom as he sighed. "But it is hard, child. I fear there may be much heartbreak in the path the Dragon has chosen for you."

Zhu Shu nodded. "I thank you for caring, Grandfather." She sighed. "There is more I must tell you, Grandfather." she said, dreading his response to her current news.

His eyes rose from the cliff's foot as her turned to face her once more. "Yes, child?"

"I– I have killed, Grandfather. In Japan, I was beset by three warriors of Clan Scorpion and was forced to slay them." Zhu Shu said, looking down in shame. Shi had always taught her that killing was a last resort. She had had no other choice, but feared what her grandfather would say to that.

Shi's reaction was unexpected. She blinked as his swords appeared in his hands, blazing with blue chi as he sliced the top off a large boulder. "Damn him! Must he _still_ hound our footsteps! Was not the destruction of our home enough?" He followed with a stroke to the center of the boulder that shattered it. He turned to Zhu Shu, his eyes blazing. "Where did they find you?"

Zhu Shu blinked in surprise. "In Beijing. But they bore documents that claimed they were from Hong Kong. And Scorpion attacked the Joketsuzoku. Not two days ago they invaded the Amazon village and slew many warriors, aided by the Musk. The Musk are no more, and I must go to Hong Kong to see what occurs there. The Senshi have detected a huge magical surge there that I suspect is Clan Scorpion. I am going–"

"No, you are not! You will go back to Japan!"

"No, Grandfather, I will not! The Scorpion have slain my blood-sister's kin, cursed them to be half animal along with Akane and her sisters and Ranma's mother, and have attempted to kidnap me! A sorcerous being of shadows sought to deliver me like a prize to someone named Xi'an Chi, and I must find out why!"

Shi's eyes blazed. "Because you are the Heir! Because he has always sought the power of the Dragon! You cannot fight him, Zhu Shu! He is beyond you! He is the reason I have never left this valley, why your parents died rather than betray your existence! He wants every last child of Lin Tzu dead and the power of the Dragon for his own! You cannot go to Hong Kong if he is there!"

"I must. I will not live my life in fear of him, or see my friends suffer because of him!"

"You will not go!"

"She must." a quiet voice broke in.

They both turned to see a ghostly figure standing by the shrine. Shi turned pale as Zhu Shu smiled. "Ying-Ying!"

"Hello, beloved." She held up a bouquet of wild flowers, as pale and transparent as she was. "Thank you for the flowers." Turning towards Shi she added. "And to you as well, Weapons Master. Please forgive me, but I was requested to deliver a message. The Dragon's Child must face the Lord of Shadows and free the Banshee. This is her destiny. Do not stand against it."

"No! He is too strong!"

"She will not face him alone. She may not need to face him directly at all. You know what must be Shi."

Shi turned to face away from the ghost. "Yes."

Zhu Shu looked at him curiously, but decided now was not the time to pry. She turned to Ying-Ying. "What is going on, beloved?"

Ying-Ying turned look at her. "What must, beloved. More than that I cannot say."

Zhu Shu grimaced. "Why must everyone speak in riddles!"

Ying-Ying gave her a sad look. "I am sorry, my love. I am not permitted to say more."

Zhu Shu sighed. "Very well." She smiled at the spirit. "I am glad to see you again, outside of dreams."

Ying-Ying smiled. "Your love and prayers opened the door for me here, but I cannot stay long. Already my strength is failing. The mortal world is not for spirits."

Zhu Shu stepped close. "Yet I know now you are real, not a figment of my dreams."

Ying-Ying smiled again as she faded. _((Always and forever… I am here))_

With a whisper of wind she was gone, the last smoke from the fading brazier taken by the breeze. Zhu Shu closed her eyes for a long second as the faint scent of flowers faded, then asked. "What is your answer, Grandfather?"

Shi's hands clenched around the hilts of his swords, and his words were strained. "It is not my place to say, apparently, Little Mouse. The Dragon bids you go. I must obey." He sighed as his swords disappeared. "Am I to be forever confined to this valley?" he asked the air.

The faint breeze stirred the dust before the shrine and for a few seconds, the Dragon Mandala formed. A faint whisper echoed around the cliff, a vibration in the air that might have been a trick of the ear.

((_TELL HER_))

As the Mandala faded, Shi sighed. "I will not stop you, Little Mouse, but I beg you. Be careful. If you can avoid him, do. Alone, you stand no chance against him. For all my skill at arms, I was as a babe before his wizardry. In the end, it was only by the actions of a woman I had hated, that I had seen as a betrayer, that allowed me to escape with my wife and daughter." He motioned for Zhu Shu to sit.

"There is much I have kept from you, child, in hopes that it would keep you safe. I see now that it was a vain hope. The stories I have told you about your great-great-grandfather are _my_ tales, Little Mouse. Three hundred years ago, I was the Weapons Master of our clan, and we were strong. I was proud of our might, and arrogant. The Princess of the Musk, Clove, sought my hand, but I desired another, and she was vain, and petty, and I scorned her." Shi sighed. "I could have avoided what befell had I accepted her desires and taken her as a second wife. She would have had her wish and the security of being wife to the War Master would have calmed her. She was always fearful of being married away on some political alliance, and becoming in everything but name a slave. My refusal angered her, and Xi'an Chi used that anger and her despair to inflame a war between Musk and Dragon. We believed ourselves strong enough to stand alone." Shi shook his head sadly. "We were wrong. Xi'an Chi strengthened her troops with magic, and as I sought to escape, the sole surviving heir, he tracked me to a place called Jusenkyo and captured me, with Clove at his side." Shi closed his eyes, and Zhu Shu could tell he was pained by the memory. "She learned then that Xi'an Chi's promises were lies, that he had never intended to deliver me to her as he had claimed, and that he planned my death. Her last words to me were 'I have always loved you.' as she turned on Xi'an Chi." A single tear ran down Shi's cheek and Zhu Shu could hear a faint tremble in his voice, but he refused to release the tight control that had marked him her entire life. Shi took a deep breath before finishing. "She gave her life that I might escape with Mu and our daughter, Su Yi. My last sight of her was from the cliffs above the springs. In my fear, I fled, and offered her no aid as she struggled, not even when I saw her fall to his sorcery. Even now I can hear her screams as Xi'an Chi toyed with her. It is a shame I cannot ever expunge."

Zhu Shu was quiet for a long moment before asking, "Grandfather, you know of Jusenkyo?"

Shi nodded. "The Cursed Springs have been around for as long as history records, child. Heed the warnings and do not venture there."

Zhu Shu bit her lip. "Grandfather, I have been to Jusenkyo. I met Ranma there."

Shi buried his face in his hands. "Please, Little Mouse. Tell me you touched no water from the springs."

"I– I cannot, Grandfather. Ranma knocked me into one as he himself fell into another."

Shi shook his head. "Little Mouse, Little Mouse. What do you become?"

Zhu Shu took out her small water pouch and poured it over her head. Shi stared a long moment before burying his face in his hands again. "So, she became a victim of the springs. At least I know that she died cleanly for defying Xi'an Chi, instead of becoming his slave."

"Grandfather?" Zhu Shu asked puzzled.

"Clove, Little Mouse. The Musk Dynasty mixed its blood with that of beasts for strength. The Royal family bore the blood of a black dragon. Clove was the daughter of their Lord and the dragon, and he was a son of a marriage between Musk and Clan Dragon. The war twixt us was over who was to be the rightful Child of the Dragon." He laughed bitterly. "Oh, Little Mouse. You have always resembled my wife Mu, and now, you bear the likeness of Clove as well. Is my past intended to forever haunt me?"

Zhu Shu bowed her head. "I am sorry, Grandfather. It was not my intention to bring you pain."

"I know, Little Mouse." He sighed. "And yet, you are even more so touched by the Dragon. I shall not question it further." He gently lifted Zhu Shu's head to look into her eyes. "Be warned though. Black dragons have strong emotions, and are quick to anger. Their rage burns like a fire. Clove was ever ruled by her anger, and while it made her strong, it also made her careless. Do not let the rage rule you, Little Mouse, or it may consume you as it did her."

Zhu Shu nodded. "I have struggled against it already, Grandfather. I will do my best."

Shi nodded. "There were many mistakes I made in my dealings with Clove, Zhu Shu. Many misjudgments I made of her. She is my greatest regret. It was not until much later that I realized we had both been fools played by Xi'an Chi. I should have married her when I had the chance, even Mu told me so once." He sighed. "But I cannot change what was, Little Mouse, nor shape the future. I wish you would not go to Hong Kong, but I cannot stop you, merely pray for your safe return. But will you at least share dinner with us?"

Zhu Shu shook her head. "I am sorry, Grandfather. A friend waits above to take me to Hong Kong."

"Yes, I noticed the strange craft, and your curious friend."

"Lum has been generous in granting me transport today, and I do not wish to make her late for her date tonight with her own betrothed."

"No. Very well, Little Mouse. I will give your greetings to your aunt and tell her you are well. Do not make me a liar."

"I will be careful, Grandfather."

"Be far more than that, Zhu Shu. Be far more than that."

0 0 0 0 0

Akane looked out the tilt rotor's window as they lifted off and waved to the crowd of Amazons who had come to see them on the way. She was surprised Shan Pu and Ke Lun weren't among them, but figured that packing up their hut took precedence.

A questioning meow came from a small crack in the lid of the basket, and Akane smiled.

"No, China. You have to stay in there. We can't have Ranma freaking out in the plane."

The kitten gave an acquiescing purr and the lid fell back down as she settled to the bottom of the basket. Akane smiled and looked up to the front of the cabin, where Ranma was sitting between his mother and father. It looked like Nodoka was saying something to him, but she figured it was impolite to try and listen in, and taking out the ribbon she had used to tie her ears back would be rather obvious anyway, so she settled back in the bucket seat and closed her eyes.

The immediate effect of closing her eyes was a sudden noting of the lack of the feeling she'd gotten used to, of the air feeling slightly charged with electricity. She remembered Zhu Shu saying something on the flight over about how the plane seemed to close out the energy flows outside the craft, and realized that was probably what the static feeling was. She'd become sensitive to energy flows when she'd merged chi with Zhu Shu. She sighed in relief, remembering the night before leaving for China, and the strange tugging sensations she'd been curious about.

One mystery explained, but so many more to have answered. Shan Pu being the most prominent one.

How _did_ she really feel? It was too late to have any hope of escaping the betrothal. She was engaged to be married to a real, full time, girl. Unlike Ranma, there was no passing it off as accepting a curse, and playing it safe so she wouldn't get pregnant. Shan Pu was a girl, would stay a girl, and expected to be loved and _made love_ _to_ as a girl.

And she had no question whatsoever of Shan Pu's feelings for her. However hard it was to understand how the Amazon could have fallen in love with her so fast, Shan Pu had worn her heart on her sleeve for the whole world to see. She had been so proud to show off her fiancée's to everyone in her village, and had been free with displaying her affections for both of them.

And it had been easy to see how badly she wanted her fiancée's to love her back.

Zhu Shu's memories of her time spent with Shan Pu floated to the surface of her mind, and she had to smile. For all that they were hunting Ranma, Shan Pu had flirted with Zhu Shu the entire time, and on more than one occasion had playfully tried seducing her. It had been obvious that Shan Pu had deduced Zhu Shu's preferences, and was more than happy to be the object of Zhu Shu's desire. Zhu Shu had never taken her up on the offers, and Shan Pu had never pushed it, but it was clear Shan Pu had no hesitations about being with another girl.

She remembered, then, the moment outside the dojo, the unbridled fire of passion that had burned in Shan Pu's eyes. Shan Pu had tried hard to keep it from showing so strongly at the village, but Akane had felt it all the same. Shan Pu's passions were like a force of nature in their strength, and they were all directed at her and Ranma.

She looked back to the front, at the back of Ranma's head, and reflected on how different it was between them nowadays. She had no doubts of Ranma's love for her. The very fact he had forgiven her for her folly was proof of that, and she had started to learn the depths of that love as they had spent time together. Ranma's love was like a mountain… it was enormous, and rooted unshakably, and it would endure till the end of time, but like any mountain, when you were standing on the slopes among the trees, it was a little hard to see. As nice as it was when he remembered to do something romantic, she didn't need those little touches to know his love was there.

But Shan Pu's love was just as strong, and as deep as the ocean, and when you were in the middle of an ocean, no matter which way you turned, there was water. And like water, the Amazon girl had started to seep into Akane's heart.

"I think I actually miss her." she mused to herself softly.

A questioning mew came from the basket, equally soft. Akane smiled.

"Shan Pu, silly. Not you. I kinda miss her… a little. I wish she'd been there to see us off.

The mew was almost apologetic, which made Akane laugh softly.

"You don't have to apologize for Shan Pu, China. I'm sure she had a good reason." she giggled.

The kitten quieted down again leaving Akane to her thoughts. It really was a revelation that in the last two days, she'd gotten used to Shan Pu's presence… and had even been slightly disappointed she hadn't tried crawling into Akane's bed in the middle of the night again.

Of course, they _had_ all been in a hut, with very limited space and no privacy.

But when she came to Japan again, would she start doing it again? And if she did…

Memories of the feel of Shan Pu's warm body against hers, and visions of the Amazon's shapely nude figure swam across her brain and she shifted her hips.

No, she didn't think she'd be throwing Shan Pu out of the bed again.

The brief fantasy of a daisy chain made up of her, Shan Pu and Ranma brought her thoughts around to her other fiancé, and the subtle shifts in her feelings for him that had occurred since the fight with Kodachi. She'd warned him that she was probably not going to repeat the spontaneous seduction she'd engaged in… but truth be told, she'd kept thinking about it over and over, and with an actual experience to draw on, she'd started realizing she'd had _way_ too many preconceived notions about the entire subject of sex.

She giggled softly to herself remembering how dead on the money Ranma had been when he'd accused her of taking a long look at him that first time. Nor had she really made that much of an effort to cover herself, then, or anytime since. For all she had been accusing him of being a pervert, she had liked the reaction her naked body had had on him. For all the shock they had both felt at that moment, Ranma's body had still reacted… as had hers. It had been her anger at herself for being excited and so eager to stare at his fine male figure that had prompted her to such extreme outrage. Ranma had compounded it, but she'd just hated the fact that she had felt like her body had betrayed her.

She shook her head at her foolishness. Just because the boys at Furinkan were infuriating, and she'd been foolish enough to listen to the half truths and gossip of her girlfriends, she'd convinced herself that sex was evil, and boys were beasts.

Her mind drifted back to the way Ranma's back had arched the first time she'd made her fiancé climax with her tongue. The shudders the red-head's body had made had made her own body shiver in pleasure, and teaching Ranma how to return the favor had been far more fun than she'd ever dreamed. As much as she had been turned on by Ranma's male body, she had no doubt that playing with his male half would be equally as fun.

But, she _had_ promised Kasumi she wouldn't play with him as a male.

And to be fair, there were very good reasons for that. She didn't want to get pregnant before they were married… indeed, she didn't even want kids all _that_ soon. She wanted a chance to try and make something of herself other than just being a housewife. She wanted to restore the Dojo to its former glory… make it a real school again, with real students. Having the Juuban girls training there had shown her how much she enjoyed teaching martial arts. As much as she had enjoyed practicing, and even learning, nothing compared to sharing her knowledge with someone. Having a baby as soon as possible would make that difficult.

No… she was going to spend quite some time being a happy lesbian. While she was certainly going to screw Ranma's brains out as a guy on their wedding night, it was going to be with every precaution against pregnancy. Other than that, Ranma was going to have to get used to being a lesbian too.

At least with _her. _But what about Shan Pu? She had no doubt Shan Pu wanted to play with Ranma just as eagerly as she desired his love. Did Shan Pu have any qualms about early pregnancy? Or was she as eager to bear a child as she was to invade her fiancée's beds?

"So why do you look so deep in thought?" Kasumi's voice interrupted her musing. Akane looked up as her sister settled into the seat opposite her. She noticed Kasumi had acquired a short cheongsam from somewhere, and noted with amusement that it showed off more than Kasumi was probably aware, including the fact she wasn't wearing anything under it. Kasumi noted the look and crossed her legs with an amused smile of her own.

"I wasn't planning on being away from home so long." Kasumi said to the unasked question. "And you shouldn't have worn those same clothes again. Lo Shen gave me several dresses, and you could have worn one."

Akane shrugged. "Didn't think of it. And my shorts at least keep my tail from getting jammed in the seat."

"Well, just make sure those clothes make it into the dirty laundry as soon as we get home."

"Yes, Kasumi." Akane smiled.

"So why do you look so deep in thought?" Kasumi asked again.

Akane sighed. "Just thinking about Shan Pu."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm realizing that I kinda miss her, and well… I guess that means I do care about her somewhat."

"Of course you do, Akane."

"I mean, like, _really_ caring."

"She's your fiancée, that's to be expected." Kasumi nodded. "She's really a nice girl, after all. And she really cares for you. She was heartbroken when you got upset over her sneaking into your bed, and she was even worse when you ran off after knocking down the dojo."

Akane lowered her head. "I know… and I feel bad about that, I do. I know she just wants my love in return. She's just so… forceful. I just don't know if I can match the love she feels for me and Ranma."

"Love isn't a contest, Akane. It's not about who loves who the most."

"I know." Akane shifted to brace her arm on the arm rest as she looked out the window. "I was just thinking about how I don't want to have children immediately, and was wondering if she _does_."

The lid of the basket poked up a small fraction as Kasumi nodded.

"I'm glad to see you actually thinking about this."

Akane gave her a sidelong look before resuming her stare out the window. "I'm trying to come to grips with all of it Kasumi. And what I'm going to do. I thought that one time with Ranma would be a fluke, something that would only happen once, but I don't think I can resist doing it again. I want to drag him off right now and strip him naked, and I can't. I think I might have enough self control to only play with him when he's a girl, but not enough to not play at all."

Kasumi laughed. "That's understandable, Akane. Sex can be addictive for some people. It _is_ enjoyable for a reason."

Akane nodded. "And if I'm this into it, I can only imagine what _she's_ going to be like, with her constant desires for affection. I already know from Zhu Shu's memories that she's had far more experience with it, and _no_ inhibitions. _I_ won't play with Ranma as a male until we're married, but will she understand _why_ I won't? Will she understand I want to be _more_ than a housewife?"

"Maybe you should tell her, try explaining that to her."

"Easier said than done. She's rather distracting, if you haven't noticed."

"Well, what do _you_ want to do?"

Akane smiled. "I want to get the Dojo started again, make it a real school once more. Dad hasn't taught any students since mom died, and he's barely taught me in years, just sparred occasionally. I like teaching the girls, and I think I want to keep teaching. I don't want to have kids until I'm maybe twenty five or so, maybe later."

The basket lid rose a little higher as China gave Akane a tilted head look that went unnoticed by the two girls.

Kasumi gave Akane a smile. "I think that's very wise of you Akane. Children are not something to rush into. Mom was always a little regretful that I came so soon after her marriage to father. I never doubt her love for me, but I could tell she sort of wished she had waited. She had so little time to really enjoy life."

Akane nodded. "I want to have children eventually, but I guess Zhu Shu's situation has kinda forced me to think about it. She's being forced to look for a guy because she _has _to have a kid. I understand the whole thing about being the last member of her clan, but I don't like the thought that all she is to her family is a baby machine."

China blinked, looking thoughtful.

"I _don't_ think they feel that way about her, Akane" Kasumi said soothingly.

"Probably, but it doesn't change the fact that they _treat_ her that way. Even Ke Lun insists she has to have a baby as soon as possible. It's like all they care about is her having a kid, but Zhu Shu herself is expendable once she's had one." Akane sighed. "It sucks. No one should be _forced_ to have a kid when they're barely an adult." She shook her head. "And that's why I'm only going to play with Ranma as a female. I want a chance to try and be a family before we become parents."

China looked thoughtful as Kasumi reached out a hand to touch Akane's. "Then that's what you should do, Akane. Find some way for you and Shan Pu and Ranma to become a family."

China nodded vigorously, still unnoticed.

Akane smiled. "I want to, I do, more than anything. I love Ranma, and I want to love Shan Pu. But I just am not sure how to do it."

"You can't force love, Akane. Give it time… and one morning, you'll just wake up. and it'll be there, and you'll wonder why you were ever worried."

Akane nodded. "Probably. I just hope Shan Pu isn't dead set on having children as soon as possible. I can't tell her _not_ to just because I don't want them yet."

"Don't worry about it Akane. Give it time. You're nowhere near that stage yet, and when you get there, maybe you'll find its not a worry at all."

Akane nodded, looking over at the basket to find China giving her a contemplative look. She giggled. "You look so serious, China. Are you listening to me and Kasumi?"

China purred as Akane reached out to scratch her ears, and acquiesced when Akane shooed her back into the basket.

Akane gave Kasumi a smile. "I swear, sometimes it's like she actually understands what we're saying."

A contented purr came from the basket as Kasumi returned the smile and they both looked out the window at the passing landscape.

0 0 0 0 0

The rest of the flight back to Nerima was uneventful, and Tao-Ching had called ahead to have limos waiting. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the Tendo house came into sight, complete with a brand new, reinforced dojo. As the limos pulled to a stop in front of the house, the voodoo priest waved to them from where he was finishing the trim around the dojo door, then blinked at the bunny ears. Nabiki waved him over.

Sandal gave her a huge smile. "You bein' a bunny-girl now. You get hit with curse water too?" he said in his usual English.

Nabiki nodded. "Find answer. No cure for curse."

Sandal looked crestfallen. "Damn. Shuda know me voodoun not give me sumtin' that can be fixed." He shrugged. "Guess I'm outa luck."

Nabiki nodded. "Still need carpenter. Stay?"

Sandal shrugged. "Got nowhere ta go. A 'coons a 'coon anywhere in tha world." He switched to Japanese. "Domo airy go toe."

Nabiki smiled at the lousy Japanese. "You're welcome." she replied in English.

China, for her part, had immediately commandeered Akane for some petting before letting her unpack her clothes. She finally relented after ten minutes and watched from the bed as Akane hung up the dress she had been betrothed in. Akane smiled at China as she noticed her watching.

"Your mistress gave me this pretty dress. Do you like it?"

China meowed approvingly. Akane twirled it around her like a dance partner. "I do have to admit, Shan Pu has nice taste in clothing." She gave the kitten a mock severe glance, "but don't you tell her, or I'll have to cut off your milk supply."

China did her best to look innocently angelic. Akane laughed and hung the dress in her closet. "I swear, you are the most intelligent kitty I've ever seen. I wonder what breed you are."

China blinked at her. Akane laughed and stripped out of her clothes, not noticing the kitten's admiring gaze as she tossed the clothes in a ball by the door and donned her bath robe. She looked up from tying her belt to see China studiously washing her paw.

"Meow?" the kitten blinked hopefully.

Akane laughed and started petting her again. "And affectionate too." She picked the cat up and hugged her, China purring happily. "Oh, I'm so happy Shan Pu gave you to me."

China closed her eyes and purred louder.

0 0 0 0 0

Ranma was checking out the dojo with Genma and Soun, noting the heavily reinforced framework with approval. The construction company had done a good job of rebuilding it as it had been while incorporating the improvements with a minimum of disruption to the traditional decor. Soun was crying tears of happiness.

Ranma tested the floor, approving of the solidness. He checked around the rest of the main room and smiled. Now he'd really be able to cut loose without worrying about the building falling down. He was doing a few kata to loosen up when Soun left and Genma called to him.

"Yeah, Pops. What is it?"

"Son, I wanted to say that you handled yourself well in China."

Ranma raised his eyebrow. "Um– Okay."

Genma glared. "Your mother insisted I tell you that, so make sure she knows I did." He huffed. "Still, you did quite well in defending your brides and upholding the honor of the Saotome name. However, you allowed yourself to be captured by that shadow creature. I expect better of the heir to the Anything Goes School."

"Like you did any better, you bamboo munching idiot!"

"We will begin your training from the beginning! Prepare yourself!"

Several minutes later, Kasumi looked out the kitchen window at the noise coming from the dojo and smiled. How nice of the Saotomes to test out the new construction. She listened to the impacts for a few seconds and smiled even wider. It sounded like it was quite sturdy. Now Akane and Ranma could spar in the mornings comfortably. Her ears twitched happily as she finished cleaning the counters. So much dust from the building!

0 0 0 0 0

The next morning found Ranma and Akane walking to school.

And, predictably enough, arguing.

"I really wish you wouldn't have China at the breakfast table, Akane. I didn't get nothin' to eat!"

"It's not my fault that you just froze and didn't eat." Akane said with air of someone explaining something for the umpteenth time.

"I was trying to. But she kept looking at me and meowing!"

"She was just trying to tell you how much she liked her milk and the fish Kasumi made her." She gave him a sidelong look. "Besides, you made yourself scarce yesterday. How am I supposed to get you used to her if you're hiding?"

"I wasn't hiding! Dad was "teaching" me since I had the misfortune to be captured by that shadow thing," he groused. "Like _he_ hadn't been caught too."

Akane nodded. "I know. It was horrible." She hung her head as they walked and continued quietly. "I– I found myself facing Zhu Shu, but an evil version of her, like she'd been taken over by one of those things the Senshi fight. She... she'd killed the girls, and all I could think of was how I was the only person in the world who could stop her. But I couldn't, because she was what she had become _because_ of me." Akane hugged herself. "I can't explain it, or what I might have done. I just _knew_ overwhelmingly that it was my fault."

Ranma gave her a long look and sighed, putting his hands in his pockets as he strolled along the fence. "I didn't run into anything like that." He looked down at the canal. "But it was just as horrible for me."

"What happened to you?"

He looked at her. "You promise you won't laugh?"

Akane stopped, and looked at him curiously. "I promise I won't laugh, Ranma. Nothing that thing did was funny."

Ranma grimaced. "No." He jumped down from the fence. "I guess it reached inside us and used our secret fears. Mine was losing myself."

Akane tilted her head. "Losing yourself?"

"Yeah, to my girl side. I– I came into a room, and saw myself, my girl side, in bed with three guys. And she was doin' all three. And she was enjoyin' it." He shuddered. "I know you like my girl side, and it was fun playing with you as a girl, but I don't ever want to think about doin' nuthin' with a guy." He shrugged. "And then, she got out of the bed and dragged me into it, as a girl, and I couldn't escape, or fight, or do anything." He looked out over the canal. "And she kept saying over and over to forget about being a boy, that I really wanted to be a girl, and… and I was starting to _believe_ her. If Kuno hadn't killed that thing…"

Akane put her arm around his shoulders. "It's okay, Ranma. It was just an illusion. No matter how real it seemed."

"I know. But I just can't stop wondering if those illusions were somehow maybe visions of what _might_ happen. Am I going to forget I'm a guy? This damn curse keeps making me a girl whenever I get near water. And you like girls as much as guys, and Shan Pu likes girls as much as guys. Am I going to get so used to _being_ a girl that I forget I'm not one?"

Akane smiled, looking around and noting that they were at the spot where they'd stopped to look over the canal following Ranma's first fight with Ryouga. She grabbed her braid and swung it around Ranma, using it as a lasso to pull him closer. "Don't worry about it, Ranma. I like guys too. I'm not going to settle for you being a girl _all_ the time." She stepped against him and laid her head on his chest. "Trust me. I think you're worrying too much. Yes, I'm going to insist you be a girl if we're playing together, but that's just to make sure I don't get pregnant. I can't wait to marry you and show you why I want you as a guy too." Releasing the braid, she reached up to pull his head closer and kissed him, trying to throw all the desire she had for him into it.

Ranma stood stunned as Akane's lips locked onto his and her tongue began doing interesting things with his. A wave of dizziness rolled over him along with a sense of happiness, and a feeling as if all his nerves were on fire in a most excruciatingly pleasurable way. Then the kiss broke and he looked up at her, his breasts heaving against hers as they embraced.

Breasts? He looked down, then up at the truck that had just gone by, spraying water to wash away the dust on the sidewalk. Akane smiled wryly, dripping as much as Ranma…

"Great. Now we're both water magnets." She wrung water out of her rabbit ears. "And _my_ curse is still locked. Tao-Ching better find that boat Herb is on quick."

Ranma nodded, still light headed. "Uh huh."

Akane smiled. "Dazed and confused. Wow, what a great compliment on my first deliberate kiss." She whistled happily as she grabbed Ranma by the arm and led him off towards the clinic for hot water before school.

Behind them in the bushes, China nodded to herself, and wondered back towards the house purring.

0 0 0 0 0

Tao-Ching put down the phone and smiled. His contacts had come through. He looked over at his laptop and debated letting Lo Shen know, then shook his head. Herb owed him too much _personally_.

He stood and stripped off the suit coat and tie. Approaching a blank section of wall, he pressed a combination of tiles in the mosaic, and cracked his knuckles as the wall quietly slid aside. Picking up the .50 cal Desert Eagle, he checked its action and safety before tucking it in the shoulder holster and strapping the harness on. A military black jacket went over it along with an armor vest. Following that, he fastened a belt that held numerous clips for his AK-47 and picked up the combat rifle, checking it with a vicious grin.

It was finally time to pay Herb back.


	9. Chapter 7: Unintended Consequences

Chapter Seven: Unintended Consequences

Urd blinked as she looked around the devastation. What had happened?

She hadn't left her room for the last several days, sulking while trying to come to grips with the encounter she'd had with Hild, and wishing she wasn't stuck with this damn assignment. Belldandy had tried coaxing her out with sweets, and even Skuld had tried to cheer her up, but nothing could drag her out of the black mood she had sunk into. She hadn't even been able to get a good drunk on; she'd drained all the sake the first day and Belldandy wouldn't buy her any more, so she'd just sat in her room sober and hating her life.

But something had finally prompted her out of her funk, a nagging sense of something ... _missing. _It had been growing for the last couple of days, and she'd spent several hours this morning trying to narrow down what it might be, and eventually, she had come looking for Mara. Regardless of how strange the demoness had been acting lately, or how frightening she had been since the Terrible Master had possessed Urd, something had told the goddess that Mara _needed_ her.

No matter how she had fought it, that sense wouldn't go away. It had nagged at her, pushed her out of her room, and finally had driven her to the apartment complex where Mara made her lair. There had been no answer, but all her senses screamed at her as to the residuals of power within. It had taken her all of three seconds to pick the door with a credit card.

Now, surveying the ruins of what had once been an apartment, she wondered if she had come too late. At a guess, this had happened days ago. She looked at the scorch marks on everything, and the two wooden spikes embedded in the wall, trails of blood dried under them…

So much blood.

She touched the dried stain cautiously, and shuddered at the torrent of pain that clung to the blood and the sure knowledge that it was Mara's. What could have done this to a Demon First Class? She looked around again, sure whatever it had been was gone, but on edge. If it could kill a demon…

A faint groan came from the bedroom. Urd blinked, then pushed on the badly scarred door.

A soft golden glow came from the bed, but Urd couldn't make out what, or who, was on it. She started to move forward, then stopped as light poured from a magical circle on the floor. The golden glow flared brightly for a second as a pair of burning eyes floated above the circle, seeming to stare right through her. Urd took a step back as the eyes closed and the circle faded. She recognized the signature on the ward, though she'd never seen anything like it before. What was the Dragon up to?

Another groan drew her attention back to the bed, and she tried to step forward again, cautiously touching her toe to the edge of the circle. This time, it raised no protest and she crossed into the ward.

Instantly, she felt the world outside fade from her senses, the ward sealing even her goddess powers. She staggered for a second as she felt herself cut off, but concern for the still figure in the bed overrode her wariness. She knelt next to the still form of Mara and brushed the hair back from the demoness' face.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she reassured herself that Mara was alive, the silent dread that had driven her here fading. Regardless of how Mara had been acting, they had once been friends. They had grown up together, and played together, inseparable to the point many had thought they were twins, but Urd's decision to become a goddess had driven a wedge between them, one that had widened over the years as Mara had risen to become her nemesis. Urd had at first been confused by the change in Mara, then resentful, but she'd never been able to bring herself to hate her one time best friend, no matter how angry she had gotten at the demoness for disrupting her life or trying to mess with Belldandy and Keiichi.

She examined the sleeping form more thoroughly, and her breath drew in as she noted one very minor, but very significant change about Mara's face.

Mara's demon marks had changed. The scarlet split v and paired triangles on her cheeks had vanished, to be replaced by golden teardrop shaped designs noticeable against her pale skin only by the reflected light of the sun peeking through the window. Urd blinked at the curved teardrops, noting they looked almost like…

Claws?

Mara tossed again and moaned slightly, then her eyes fluttered open. As she focused on Urd, she smiled weakly. "Urd?" she said softly, just barely loud enough to hear. "He said you would come. He promised me you would be here when I woke."

Urd blinked, but nodded. "Yes Mara. I'm here." She knelt by the bed.

Mara's hand shakily rose and touched Urd's. "I– I'm sorry. I never wanted Ragnarok. Hild– Hild clouded my mind." She coughed weakly. "She clouded my mind with hate."

Years seemed to roll back as all Urd could feel was concern for an old friend. She couldn't even feel the demonic aura Mara had developed over the years. "Don't try to talk Mara. You're weak. Let me take you back to Morisato's. Bell and I can help you get better."

"Never hated you, Urd. Never…"

Urd nodded. "I know Mara. Rest. You need to get better." She reached out to stroke the demoness's hair. "Go back to sleep for now. I'll get Keiichi."

The demoness nodded. "He said you'd come." She smiled. "He promised."

Her voice faded as her eyes closed again and she drifted back to sleep. Urd sat back on her heels as she contemplated the demoness' words. Legend had been talking to Mara? And promised the demoness that _she_ was coming? What was going on? More and more she was starting to feel like a pawn being played in some vast chess game, and she didn't like the feeling.

Whatever was up, Mara wasn't the psycho she'd been lately. And she was weak and injured. She looked down at the hand that was still holding hers, and shuddered at signs that they'd been healed from being pierced. Had Hild done this to her? Had her mom tortured Mara? Because she wasn't hindering Urd enough? Or because Mara's creature had killed Zhu Shu?

She wished she had the answers.

Gently, she extracted her hand and went to the window, looking down to where Keiichi was patiently waiting by his bike. "Yo! Morisato! I need a hand up here." He looked up at where she had her head poked out and waved before heading towards the building.

He was up a few minutes later, blinking at the rubble. "What happened here? She blow herself up?" He kicked a burned pillow out of the way.

Urd gave him a dirty look. "No. I think she was attacked by my mom. She's been healed by someone, the Dragon, I think, but she's too weak to take care of herself. We need to get her back to Bell."

Keiichi did a double take. "Whoa. She's a demon, Urd. And our biggest headache! Even _you_ said she's been acting crazy."

"She's _hurt_, Keiichi." Urd said, pleading. "And I think she's back to normal. I can't leave her here. What if my mom comes back! She's defenseless!"

Keiichi looked at the blood on the wall and the uncharacteristic desperation in Urd's eyes and nodded, "Okay. I think there's room for you both in the side car, but you're going to have her on your lap."

Urd let out a sigh of relief. "That's fine. Let's just get her out of here." She looked around the apartment nervously and wiped her hands on her skirt. She led him into the bedroom, noting that the ward had already faded.

As Keiichi looked at Mara, he noted her extremely wan appearance and shook his head. Then he blinked several times, sure his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Hey, what happened to her markings?"

"I don't know." Urd confessed. "This is how I found her." She lifted the sheets to slide Mara out of bed then dropped them again. "Oh, cripes. She's naked."

Keiichi shrugged. "Just wrap her up in the blanket. I'll come back to grab some clothes for her."

Urd grimaced, but nodded. She put her hand on Mara's shoulder and gently shook her.

"Mara? We need to move you. We're going to take you to Belldandy."

Mara's eyes fluttered open and focused on Urd again. "You're really here?" she whispered, smiling. "I thought it had to be a dream."

"No Mara, I'm here. But we need to move you. We can't carry you. You have to stand."

The demoness smiled dreamily and nodded. She did her best to help Urd and Keiichi as they managed to get her on her feet and down the hall to the elevator. Mara pouted as they waited for the car to go down. "I'm sorry." she told Urd, trying to focus. "I feel so drifty."

"It's okay, Mara. You lost a lot of blood." Urd said, doing her best to hold up her side of the demoness

Getting her into the side car with Urd was even trickier, but finally, the goddess had Mara arranged on her lap so that Keiichi could drive without having a wreck. Mara giggled softly as they pulled out of the lot.

"He said you'd come for me." she whispered, so softly Urd barely caught it over the sound of the engine. Her next words were lost to the wind as they merged with traffic.

But Urd still looked down at the demoness in shock at what she thought she'd heard. As Mara laid her head on Urd's shoulder and fell asleep again, Urd blinked.

Then she passed it off as a trick of the wind. There was no way Mara could have said, "I love you."

0 0 0 0 0

Kasumi came in from shopping and stopped as her rabbit ears twitched at a faint noise. She put the groceries down and listened.

Was that… water?

Yes. It was the sound of someone bathing. She looked out the kitchen window over to the bathing room as the sound came again.

Curious. Soun and Genma had taken Sandal out to a local gaming parlor, so the house should have been empty.

She quietly crept down the hall past the dining room and approached the furo door, rolling pin in hand. As her hand touched the door, there was a sound of the water bucket falling over.

She slid open the door to find a wet and bedraggled kitten on the floor, looking up at her curiously. The overturned water bucket was lying next to her.

"China? Whatever happened?"

The kitten meowed, as if to say "I got wet!"

Kasumi laughed. "You poor thing. Here let me get you dried off." She picked up the wet kitten and stepped towards the towel draped over a hook by the tub. Noting the strange fact that the furo was full of fresh, steamy water, she failed to see the bar of soap, and with a "Whoops!" and a yowl from China, she pitched forward into the tub.

She rose up out of the water and wiped it out of her eyes to find herself face to nipple with a full breast. Her gaze rose to meet the violet eyes of a very worried Amazon.

"Shan Pu?"

"Please not be angry. Great-grandmother say must do to cure Ranma of cat fear, and learn more about Ai Ren!"

Kasumi blinked, noting the sudden absence of China. "Oh my." She wrung out her hair as she stood. "Did she curse you just to do this?"

"No. Shan Pu be cursed many years now. Since thirteen." She frowned. "Musk who attack village. Shan Pu meet before. Make fall in spring. Part why cousin hate so much." She sighed. "Is why so upset when find Ranma fear cat. Do not want Ai Ren run from Shan Pu. Run from Shan Pu enough already." she finished sadly.

Kasumi wrung out her skirt as she nodded. "I understand, dear. But are you sure this is the _best_ way?" She finally gave up wringing the water out and began undressing. Nothing in the groceries would spoil, and she'd been intending to get a bath before dinner anyway. "Akane is really happy with having a pet. I don't know how she'll take finding out it's you. She's not always the most rational or forgiving person." Hanging her wet clothes from a nearby hook in the washing area, she settled into the water across from Shan Pu. "I mean, I know I told you that you need to work on being subtle, but not outright deception."

Shan Pu hung her head. "Great-grandmother say must need learn more about Ai Ren. She say be pet for while so be close to Ai Ren, not be pushed away like have been. Learn how make Akane and Ranma love like Shan Pu love. Learn how win heart."

Kasumi sighed. "I'm sorry she's like that, Shan Pu. But you were a little bit of a surprise for all of us." she paused, reflecting, "Then again, so was Ranma. Father neglected to tell us about him until he was on our doorstep." She sighed again. "Plus, there's the fact my last advice led to the pair of you destroying the dojo." She laid her head back against the tub. "Oh dear. I don't know, Shan Pu. Your great-grandmother could be right. I guess for now I will keep your secret. But please, don't do anything to abuse Akane's trust while you're a cat."

Shan Pu nodded. "Shan Pu try very hard. Not even sleep in Akane bed. Sleep under so not even hear words she say in sleep."

Kasumi smiled at her. "Very well. I will keep quiet and help if I can. Just be careful."

The Amazon nodded enthusiastically. "Shan Pu try very hard," she said again.

Kasumi smiled. "Good." A sudden thought hit her. "Oh my… were you listening to Akane and I talking yesterday?"

Shan Pu colored as she hung her head. "Shan Pu in basket. Could not help but hear."

Kasumi frowned. "You _really_ should try to avoid that in the future, dear. It's not polite to eavesdrop. Still I suppose it can't be helped."

Shan Pu shook her head. "Shan Pu not do on purpose, but did listen to Ai Ren. Why Akane no wish have babies? Is not proper way show love for husband?"

Kasumi sighed. "I suppose for your village, that is the way, but we have changed here in Japan. We don't have to have lots of children in the hopes that a few will survive. Father is unusual in that he has the three of us. One or two children is more common these days. And Akane wants to be more than just a mother." Kasumi leaned back as she let the warm water soak into her bones. "Our mother used to be a martial artist, and was well on her way to being one of the best. When she met Father, they fought like cats and dogs, but she could never defeat him."

Shan Pu nodded "Is best way. Strong man insure strong children."

Kasumi smiled. "I suppose that's true. Anyway, eventually Mother fell in love, and I was conceived. That was the last bit of scandal my mother allowed my father to engage in. They were wed and I was born… and Mother had to give up being a martial artist to take care of me."

Shan Pu blinked. "Why?"

"Because taking care of me and Father was too demanding to allow her the same kind of time and dedication to martial arts she had previously. And she insisted on stability for the family. She insisted that she and Father could not live as wanderers anymore. Father returned home and took over the school from Grandfather, and Mother learned how to be a mother from Grandmother. By the time our grandparents died, Nabiki had been born, and mother had settled into being a housewife. She still practiced in the mornings with Father, but I always got the sense she'd felt like she lost something." Kasumi traced circles on the top of the water as she stared off into the distance. "I tried as hard as I could to help around the house, and take the burden off of her, but I never understood until later what it was that she missed. I never realized how much she had given up until she died, and I was helping to raise Akane. She is so much like Mother at times it's scary. Father always used to brag that he had tamed a shrew in Mother, and Akane's drive and temper came from her."

Shan Pu giggled as she rubbed the back of her head. "Shan Pu have felt Akane's anger. Is not worried. Shan Pu proud Akane is such strong warrior. But being mother does not mean is not warrior."

"Do the women of your village share the responsibility for raising children?" Kasumi asked.

Shan Pu nodded. "Men mainly do housework and watch over young ones, but all village help."

Kasumi nodded. "In Japan, only the family helps, and _men_ are generally off earning money to support the family. The school was Fathers' job, but when Mother died, he just kind of fell apart. If it hadn't been for the money Mother had put back, and Nabiki's gift for managing it, we would have lost our home years ago."

Shan Pu gave her a horrified look. Finally she blinked and shook her head. "Japanese very strange. Understand now why Akane not want children right away."

Kasumi nodded. "We don't have the same ways as your village, Shan Pu. And it is hard for a woman in Japan with children to be anything but a housewife. It's what's expected."

Shan Pu nodded. "Is same for men in village. Not think Ranma be good househusband."

Kasumi giggled. "No, I can't see Ranma in that role."

Shan Pu nodded. "Shan Pu will think on this. She want make many babies for family, but things not like at village. May be best to wait. Akane want us three be family first. Shan Pu devoutly wish for this as well. When Shan Pu, Akane and Ranma _all_ decide is time, then Shan Pu give many babies."

Kasumi gave her a warm smile. "That sounds like a very wise plan, Shan-chan."

Shan Pu blinked, then smiled. "Shan-chan. Will need get used to, but like. Very happy Kasumi will be sister as well."

Kasumi laughed. "I'm hearing that from a lot of people these days."

0 0 0 0 0

The warehouse was old and rickety, like the dock. Tao-Ching looked it over and grinned. According to his source, Herb's boat would be here by dusk.

The Prince had done a good job of seeking unobtrusive entry to Japan, having hired a private luxury yacht last night to take him across to Tokyo. His only mistake had been paying in gold. The yacht's captain had no choice but to try and fence the metals, since had he tried to sell it under normal channels, the PRC would have been sniffing around trying to find out how he had come across such a large cache of antique coinage. Attempting to avoid the PRC had forced the captain to contact a Japanese "merchant", whose connections reported directly to Tokyo. As a "favor" to Tao-Ching, the yacht crew had been replaced while Herb slept and he had boarded it this morning unaware that the crew was under orders to bring him directly to this old, disused Hibiki warehouse in Chiba. Further arrangements had been made to ensure the docks were empty for a half mile around. Five million American dollars could buy a lot with the Yakuza. Twenty million all told, if you took into account hiring the mercenaries of Area 88 to blow up the Musk fortress. Almost his entire profits for the last six months.

Tao-Ching felt the scar along his side and smiled. A small price to pay for revenge. Mint and Lime had already paid with their lives for his humiliation at their hands. They should have made sure he was dead. This time, he wouldn't give Herb a chance to use his fancy chi techniques and throw him over a cliff. That had cost Shan Pu a lifetime cursed to be a cat and him six months healing from being impaled on a bamboo pole. Herb had a lot to answer for…

0 0 0 0 0

"I can't believe you asked her to introduce you to VENUS!" Ayeka screamed, causing Kyoko to wince.

Ai looked at her coolly, leaning back in the hot tub she'd arranged to have installed in the cheerleaders dressing room. She stretched her arms out along the side, lifting her breasts to just above the waterline as she got comfortable. She gave the raven haired cheerleader a slow examination, making the naked girl feel like her skin was being flayed, and Ayeka resisted the urge to cover herself. Finally, Ai spoke.

"Yes," Ai said icily. "We talked about the Senshi. I needed information on exactly how involved with them she is. The last thing I want is to beat her down only to have to fight five super powered magical girls. It's called intelligence gathering." Ai shook her head at Ayeka's failure to see the obvious. She should have avoided mentioning asking for Sailor Venus' autograph.

"It looked more like flirting!" Ayeka said, crossing her arms under her breasts as she cocked one hip in annoyance. "And most of the school thinks so too!"

Ai sighed, wishing Ayeka's eagerness to be her pet wasn't part of a massive inferiority complex that made the girl a great submissive, but incredibly insecure. "Enough Ayeka. Attractive as Zhu Shu is, until this matter of challenge is settled, she's off limits."

Ayeka wouldn't be mollified. "Attractive! What does that little Chinese bitch have that I don't!" she screamed, lifting her arms and turning to display her lithe figure.

Ai shook her head. Telling the girl to shave had been a mistake. Nice as she looked bare, Ayeka had obviously taken it as an attempt on Ai's part to make her substitute for Zhu Shu. It hadn't been. She'd just discovered she liked the look, and had made Ayeka her first experiment, trying to decide if she was going to have the entire squad shave. In the tall girl's mind, it had been far more significant.

"She does have bigger breasts." Kyoko added helpfully from where she was busy massaging Kaede's legs. The redheaded girl was watching the fight with an air of "enough already", supporting herself on her arms as she lay on the massage table, her legs spread to let Kyoko rub muscles sore from practice. She looked down at the other girl's comment and rolled her eyes with an amused smile.

Ayeka glared at the chestnut-haired girl, her hands rising into a strangulation grip as she almost advanced on the kawaii brunette.

Ai waved her off. "I said _enough! _Seriously Ayeka, you're acting like you're _jealous. _You've never raised a fuss like this over anyone else I was looking at as a play toy. You've been just as eager to play with them as I was."

Megumi looked over from where she was filing her nails on the other side of the hot tub. "No one else you've played with could fight us to a draw." she said, matter of factly. She examined her perfect nails and dropped the file on the side of the tub as she stretched out, her toes casually finding a soft and furry target. "Akane doesn't count because you weren't ever interested in her. She's always been too much of a tomboy for you. You like your women feminine, and your guys masculine." she finished, her toe stroking up and down gently. Ai spread her legs slightly but didn't react otherwise.

"She certainly isn't acting that way as much since Zhu Shu started living with the Tendos." Kyoko added. "She's nowhere near as violent." She sighed. "Which makes Kuno give her googly eyes worse than ever." She stopped rubbing Kaede's thigh as she frowned.

Kaede looked down at Kyoko over the mute evidence that she was no more a natural red-head than Ai was blonde, and rolled her eyes. "Why you care that Kuno chases her is beyond me."

Kyoko gave a pretty little pout. "Well, I _don't_ really. I used to, but then I met Ai." She gazed at the oblivious blonde adoringly. "But he's only done that since he came to Furinkan. He always used to chase _me_ when we were in junior high and I sort of miss it. It was fun making him run around in circles."

"And I remember him being just as obnoxious about it." Kaede shook her head. "And you playing hard to get just made him worse. Now he assumes every girl is doing it. It's one thing to be chased for being desirable, but that boy is like a dog who can't tell who's in heat and tries to hump everyone." She fluttered her eyes at the brunette and looked down meaningfully. Kyoko blushed as she started rubbing again

Ayeka growled. "And all of that is beside the point!" She turned to Ai. "When are we going to challenge that bitch again!"

"When I can find some way to cancel out those ki attacks!" Ai exclaimed. "As good as we are, none of us know any ki based attacks that sophisticated. We need some way to counteract those." Ai rubbed her temples, tired of the argument. She laid her head back against the tub's soft side as she felt Megumi's toe begin making small circles.

"We could always insult Ayeka until she explodes." Kaede suggested, to a glare from the dark haired girl that the red-head ignored. "It worked against your sister's school."

"Mariko's squad got cocky. She needed to be reminded who the real master of combat cheerleading was in the Konjou family." Ai said with a frown. She reached down to tap Kaede's foot away. "And Ayeka is uncontrollable when she's berserk. It's like she wants to rip people's throats out with her teeth and drink their blood." Ai said as she rose from the tub and began drying off.

The dark haired girl glared at all of them, her eyes flashing red as the faintest hint of an orange aura shimmering around her. "Keep it up and you'll find out just how uncontrollable I am!"

"Calm down Ayeka. We _will_ redeem ourselves against Zhu Shu. As soon as _I_ feel we are ready." Ai said as she picked up her bra and started dressing. "You all did well in practice today. I just need to figure out how to even things up in our favor, and we'll teach the entire school who's still the best."

The rest of the squad nodded, except for Ayeka, who fumed still. "I won't wait forever Ai!"

Ai fixed her with an icy glare that dissipated Ayeka's aura. "You will wait until I say or I will do something far worse than punish you." She made very sure Ayeka met her eyes. "I'll stop."

The cowed girl nodded as Ai turned and left, her yellow skirt flaring as she stalked out of the room. Kaede's eyes followed her before turning back to Ayeka. "Stop pouting. Ai's never let us down yet. She's right. You're acting like you're jealous. Ai's had plenty of other girls and guys and you've never acted like this." She looked down at Kyoko and smiled, shifting her hips.

Ayeka looked at her. "Why shouldn't I be jealous, you damn succubus? That fucking dragon has all the guys in school drooling over her, and half the girls! And ever since she's come, Ai's barely even looked at me!" She looked down at herself, running a hand along her flat stomach and over her freshly shaved pubis, then sighing as she sat on the edge of the tub.

"Zhu Shu's not even interested in any of them, Ayeka. Haven't you realized she's barely noticed anyone other than Akane or Ranma?" Kaede said. "I don't think you need worry about Ai ditching _us_ for the little tramp." She lay back on the table, her hands behind her head as she hooked one foot behind Kyoko and pulled her closer, smiling as the brunette knelt.

"Besides," Megumi added, coming up beside the tall raven-haired girl and rising out of the tub to press against Ayeka's back, her pale skin cool despite the water's heat. Her arms encircled Ayeka's neck as she nuzzled the raven haired girl's neck then murmured in her ear "We all know how obsessive she gets over anyone challenging her martial arts prowess. Or any other prowess she has. She'll figure out how to counter those ki attacks, and then, perhaps, we'll turn Zhu Shu into our personal pet." Megumi's finger traced lazily down Ayeka's breast bone. "Once she's been broken in, she'll make a fine addition to the squad, just like you were, Ayeka. Just like we _all _were."

"Exactly." Kaede added. "Think about how much fun that will be. Just like it was breaking in Kyoko here." She reached down to stroke the curly chestnut hair of the other girl.

Kyoko nodded, too polite to speak with her mouth full. The motion caused Kaede to gasp as her back arched and she moaned softly.

Megumi watched for a few seconds before concentrating on Ayeka. "Just watch," She purred in Ayeka's ear as she held out her wrist before Ayeka. "Ai will find some way to handle Zhu Shu."

Ayeka nodded, her finger tracing along the throbbing vein in the blonde's wrist before she gently cupped Megumi's arm in her hands… "Alright, but if that wench makes a move on our Ai, I'm gonna kill her." She lowered her mouth and bit gently as Megumi moaned in pleasure.

0 0 0 0 0

Ranma looked around the dojo, then down at her watch. "Okay, so where are the girls?"

Akane shrugged, the motion making her rabbit ears sway. "I don't know. Zhu Shu said they were going to come by and to give them their lessons this week. I don't know where they are." Her ears twitched towards the house. "Hang on, Kasumi's calling."

Ranma blinked, not having heard a thing. "Okay."

Akane was back a few minutes later. "Kasumi said Mrs. Tsukino called to let us know the girls apparently went to Hong Kong with her husband. He had to cover a story on a festival or something and they went as part of a school cultural project." Her frown showed annoyance.

"Oh, man. Zhu Shu's gonna kill em." Ranma shook her head.

Akane stepped up behind her and picked up Ranma's long braid, idly playing with it. "Especially after she made them swear they'd stay here until she had a chance to scout it out."

"Oh, I take it you heard the girls went to Hong Kong?"

They both turned to see Luna coming into the dojo. Ranma let out a yelp and backed up to the far side of the dojo in one leap, Akane fortunately having let go of her braid. "She talked!" the terrified red-head squeaked.

Luna gave Ranma a curious look. "Usagi said you knew about the Senshi."

Akane laughed. "Ranma does. We forgot to tell him you talk though, and he has a phobia of cats."

Luna gave Ranma a curious look. "Oh. I'll be quick then. Sorry I'm late. It's ever such a long walk on foot. The girls tricked us and took off. We don't know what's going on, but they're okay so far as we've been monitoring. I just came to let you know that we felt a major surge of Silver Millennium energy a few days ago, when you went to China. Artemis and I are sure it came from Zhu Shu."

Akane nodded. "We were attacked at the Amazon village." She pointed to her rabbit ears. "These are a remnant."

"Oh my. I thought they were a headband. Usagi has a pair just like those."

"Well, these are real. Zhu Shu saved the village. Shan Pu said that she had run to Jusenkyo for water from the spring of drowned girl to turn everyone back from being bunnies." She turned to show the fluffy pink and white tuft poking out the top of her pants. "We're no longer rabbits, but as you can see, there are still some issues. I was in the village square when Zhu Shu got back, and she just appeared on the dais in a small explosion of light."

Luna blinked. "Oh? Interesting. It takes all five of the girls joining powers to teleport."

"She collapsed afterwards, exhausted." Akane said. "The elders say she overused her chi severely."

Luna nodded. "Well, I just wanted to let you know what was going on. Artemis is waiting outside and it's a long walk back."

"Why's he outside?"

"Said he smelled a strange cat."

"Oh, that's China. She's mine. Shan Pu gave her to me."

Luna looked over at the still cowering Ranma. "And he's afraid of cats?"

"We're hoping repeat exposure will help him overcome the phobia."

"Ah. Well, I suppose that's all to the good. Anything I can do to help?"

"Don't really know. Right now I guess not."

"Well, at least now we know why he had a fit the first day I came with Usagi." She tilted her head at the unmoving girl. "Good luck with the phobia, Ranma!"

"Gah!" was the red-head's response.

Akane sauntered over to the smaller girl as Luna nosed back out the dojo door. "Well, it looks like we're stuck with no class to train. Care to spar?"

Ranma's eyes stayed glued to the door until Luna's tail disappeared, then let out a sigh. "Dammit, I did it again!"

Akane tugged the smaller girl away from the wall and rubbed her shoulders. "It's going to take time Ranma. You did very well. Especially considering that we didn't warn you about her speaking."

"I hate this. I used to like cats!"

"Give it time. No-one but you expects results overnight." She stepped back and gave the red-head a mischievous look as she untied her gi top. "Now, are you going to spar with me, or not?"

Ranma watched as Akane removed her gi, admiring the curves her body was developing, and smiling as Akane's bunny tail came fully into view. Akane noticed her watching and gave her rear a shake. "So, do I have a nice tail?"

Ranma gulped hard. "Umm…"

Akane laughed as she reached behind her back and pulled her swords. Ranma barely had time to blink as she blurred towards her, Akane's long braid whipping into a loud crack as she moved. She stopped behind Ranma, her breasts pressed against the red-head's back and her arms encircling the other girl, swords once more put away. Ranma turned her head to give the grinning girl a raised eyebrow.

"What was that about?" she asked, prompting Akane to giggle.

Then, Ranma's gi fell off, the garment sliced neatly into pieces.

"I wanted you naked." Akane explained with a quirked eyebrow.

Ranma gave her the evil eye. "You could have asked."

"It's more fun this way." Akane smiled. "Besides, it gives me a chance to let my hands wander." she added as her hands began to do just that, one hand moving up, the other down.

Ranma blushed. "Um, are you feeling okay? I mean, Kodachi wasn't even in school today, so I don't think she slipped you something."

"I'm horny. It's a natural thing for most people, Ranma. Especially people in love." Akane murmured as her fingers began playing with Ranma's curls. "I've been horny since we left China, and this is the first time I've been able to express it."

Ranma gasped as Akane's fingers found their target. "Ah, okay. It's just your usually so– so–"

"Sexless?" Akane teased. "I thought I broke you of that idea." She tossed her head so her braid wrapped around them both, pulling Ranma closer.

"Ah… yeah… um… well… I… just never expected you to be so forward." She leaned back against Akane as the dark haired girl's fingers began provoking the responses Akane sought.

"So? I want to make out like bunnies. I…" Akane stopped and blinked. "Oh my god." she said, her lips right next to Ranma's ears. "That's _exactly_ what I want to do." Her ears twitched. "I've wanted to drag you off and play with you ever since I got cursed."

The red-head blinked. "Huh?"

"Since I got cursed, whenever I'm not doing something, I've been daydreaming about having sex. With you, with Shan Pu, even Zhu Shu. Gods, I've been fantasizing about just about everyone," she nuzzled Ranma's ear. "And getting hornier and hornier."

Ranma blinked. "Everyone?"

Akane pulled her head back and gave the red-head a sour look. "Get _over_ yourself. Like you haven't done it too. I _have_ noticed your tendency to let your eyes wonder towards pretty girls."

Ranma blushed. "Okay, okay."

"Besides, the only people I'd actually _do_ something with are you, and eventually Shan Pu." She leaned back in to start nuzzling again. "I love you, and I never meant to hurt you."

Ranma smiled. "I know. I'm sorry. Just have a hard time accepting that you really find _me_ desirable."

Akane blinked. She leaned forward to look at Ranma's face. "Jeez. I should have known the overbearing ego had a hidden insecurity problem."

"Hey, I ain't insecure!" Ranma protested

Akane giggled. "Of course you are. When it comes to me anyway. I think it's cute." She hugged Ranma tighter for a second, then her hands resumed their explorations again. "Anyway, I wonder if being a bunny-girl has side effects, like an increased sex drive."

Ranma sighed softly as Akane's fingers slid deeper. "Umm… I dunno. Maybe. I ain't complaining."

Akane nipped him lightly on the neck. "Of course not. _You're_ the one being molested." She grabbed Ranma's hand with her unoccupied one and guided it. "A fact that I expect you to correct immediately."

Ranma smiled as her fingers complied.

0 0 0 0 0

Nabiki growled as she closed the cell phone. Tao-Ching still wasn't answering. And after she'd gone and spent so much effort buying clothes!

She looked down at the pair of stiletto heeled platforms she had bought, and sighed. All dressed up and no place to go. Stepping in front of the mirror, she examined the deep v front dress she'd bought, the neckline plunging down so far that she'd had to shave, and the lower hem barely hiding the fact she'd dispensed with underwear too. The back of the dress actually plunged below her tail, leaving the soft brown puff of fur fluffed out behind her. The black heels accented the ensemble, the open toes showing off her candy apple red nail polish, and the extra two inches of height from the platforms and the seven inch heels would have brought her almost level with Tao-Ching. The daringness of the outfit had left her feeling incredibly sexy.

A shame Tao-Ching couldn't see it. She lifted the dress to look at the small tuft of fur she'd left as a teaser and pouted. She'd so looked forward to driving the furball crazy with tantalizing glimpses until he couldn't take it anymore, then letting him take the dress off of her for a little fun.

She sighed again and headed down to the kitchen to tell Kasumi she wasn't going out after all. Pausing at the kitchen door, Nabiki blinked, then gave a slow smile.

"Umm… Kasumi?"

Kasumi smiled at Nabiki. "Yes?"

"Um… you _did _realize you weren't wearing anything but that apron, right?" Nabiki took advantage of the fact to admire Kasumi's excellent curves.

Kasumi blushed prettily, but didn't seem too bothered by Nabiki's appraising looks. "Oh my. I was… well… I took a break for a few minutes. If you must know, I was fantasizing and didn't want to mess up my clothes. I was so caught up in my daydream I didn't notice I hadn't gotten re-dressed." She took in Nabiki's clothes. "That's a new look for you."

Nabiki thought about it, looking down at herself. "You're right." She looked around. "Good thing Genma and Sandal aren't here. I'm practically giving a free show, too." She shrugged. "Though they'd probably run for the hills in terror if they were. The Ice Princess on the prowl."

Kasumi laughed, the motions making her breasts bounce rather enticingly. Nabiki licked her lips, feeling a sudden urge to nibble.

"Mr. Saotome is currently rather… occupied, with Mrs. Saotome." Kasumi confessed. "She actually dragged Mr. Saotome into his room." Kasumi nodded out at the dojo. "And if I'm interpreting the noises coming from over there correctly, I believe Akane is entertaining herself with Ran-chan."

"Ran-chan?" Nabiki grinned. "How cute. I can't wait to call him that."

"_Her_. We really need to treat Ranma as a girl when he's female. After all she's not going to get rid of the curse any more than we are." Kasumi said brightly. She played with one of her ears, pulling it down to toy with idly. "We're bunny-girls for life."

Nabiki nodded. Then did a double take. "Hey, wait a minute."

Kasumi nodded. "You didn't realize being a bunny-girl was throwing your sex drive into high gear." She smiled. "Yes. I noticed that earlier. I was going to warn you before you went out." She looked down at herself and gave Nabiki an amused grin. "And as you can see I got distracted."

Nabiki laughed. "So I see. Nice to see you're normal in that regard too."

Kasumi blushed again. "Well, I _am_ human, Nabiki. I'm just not usually so… _blatant _about it." She turned to finish draining the sink from washing, her pale brown tail accenting her pear shaped rear.

Nabiki licked her lips absently thinking about how nice a closer inspection would be. She shifted her hips. "Well, hopefully, if Tao-Ching isn't home, he got some lead on where Herb is so we can get this damn lock broken."

Kasumi nodded as she wiped her hands on the apron. "Well, I should definitely get dressed before anyone else comes in."

Nabiki gave her an evil grin. "Want some 'help'?"

Kasumi raised an eyebrow. "Nabiki!"

Nabiki shrugged. "Hey, I'm incredibly horny," she admitted unapologetically. "And _you_ were the one to kiss Zhu Shu. And is currently running around naked! Can _I_ help it if the entire Tendo family has the trait of being at least _curious _about lesbianism?" She stepped into the kitchen with a teasing whirl, showing the dress off in full. "Just watching you at the moment has made me want to lay you back on the table and have you for a snack."

Kasumi wrung her hands. "Oh my. I can't say I'm not tempted," she admitted, unable to hide the signs of that temptation behind her thin apron. "But I know it's just the effects of being a bunny-girl. Besides we're sisters."

Nabiki laughed. "Don't give me that. I heard you talking to Akane about geisha stuff." She stepped up to Kasumi and backed her against the counter. "Did it ever occur to you that I might be interested too?" she asked, reaching around Kasumi to grab the ties to her apron and pulling them loose as she stepped back, drawing the apron up to reveal Kasumi's curly locks, as impeccably trimmed as always.

"But Nabiki, Akane and I aren't doing any thing like what you're suggesting." Kasumi protested, gently tugging her apron out of Nabiki's hands.

Nabiki laughed and hiked her skirt to reveal what she wasn't wearing underneath. "Does this tell you how horny I am?"

Kasumi blushed prettily. "Yes, but we'd probably regret it later."

"Now you're rationalizing." Nabiki sing-songed. She continued pulling the dress off and tossed it on the table as she sat down on it with her legs spread. "Look, I wanted Tao-Ching tonight, but he's not available, nor has he actually even asked me to be his girlfriend yet, or out on a date, and I am getting rather tired of waiting." She casually traced down the joint of her thigh, drawing Kasumi's eyes to her mostly shaven state as she smiled languidly. "And in retrospect, he's not as safe to play with as you are. Akane is playing with Ranma, and even _Genma_ is getting some." She batted her eyes playfully at her sister. "Now I _could_ just go and find some random individual to play with, I suppose. But then I'd never be absolutely sure they wouldn't use this little weakness I've acquired to blackmail me, and there's always the possibility I'd get pregnant…"

Kasumi's apron sailed past her sister's head as she smiled indulgently. "You're terrible. I just want you to know that," she said as she turned and sashayed out of the kitchen.

Nabiki just smiled as she sauntered out after Kasumi. "Of course I am, but you love me anyway."

"True… but that doesn't mean I'm going to say yes."

"You haven't said no either." Nabiki said as they headed up the stairs

Kasumi just laughed.

0 0 0 0 0

China watched the two girls disappearing up the stairs and laughed internally. She really hadn't meant to spy, having just come down to beg some milk from Kasumi and catching the show between Nabiki and her sister. She didn't think Kasumi was actually going to give in to Nabiki, considering she'd seen the mischievous look in the older girl's eye as she'd taken off her apron, but she wasn't sure why the older girl was being so resistant. Must be another of those weird notions these Japanese had.

It was amusing watching some of the antics her Japanese sisters went through about something as simple as sex. Sex was a natural expression of love, whether it was between sisters or mates. Amazons kept it simple. Sex for fun was fine between fertility periods; procreation was reserved for marriage. Sex with a sister was always for fun, regardless of whether they were blood or not. Really, how else was anyone to learn the proper ways to stimulate a partner without practice? She'd been surprised that all Zhu Shu's training had been rote memorization, and that she had never been trained to read her body's own signs of when she was fertile, though she had been trained in herbal techniques to control conception. She'd remedied at least that much during their two months hunting Ranma, teaching Zhu Shu how to note the various signs of the feminine cycle.

Still, judging from the little exchange between Kasumi and Nabiki, and Akane's concerns about playing with Ranma as a male, it looked like she would need to educate her new sisters and Ai Ren as well. Some of these outlander customs were just too silly.

She nosed the refrigerator door open and stood on her hindquarters to reach the bowl of milk Kasumi had promised her she'd leave and drank. Thirst satisfied, she returned to contemplating, realizing she also needed to let Kasumi know about the lecture her great-grandmother had given her about avoiding being in her cursed form as she approached her fertile phase, as the animal instincts could become strong enough to overcome her rationality. The Tendo girls were unprepared for anything like this, and were locked in cursed form. And, like most women who shared living spaces, their periods were probably fairly close to each other. This increase in their sexual appetites was probably going to get worse as their periods drew closer, though hopefully, being only _half_ rabbit would mitigate it somewhat. She'd learned the hard way exactly how overpowering that instinct was in the animal form, and was glad Ke Lun had been nearby with hot water. As it was, she still had a problem with attracting felines when she was on her cycle, even in human form, and went to great lengths to avoid cold water those three days.

Luckily, that had just passed, and she had most of a month left. Ke Lun would be in Japan long before then and she'd be able to just avoid being China during the danger period.

She wandered over to the dojo and climbed up to the sill of one of the high windows, her sharp ears and nose having caught the evidence of loveplay within. She arranged herself on the ledge, watching as her two beloved fiancées played with each other, wishing she could join in. Comforting herself with the hope she'd learn enough about Akane and Ranma to win their hearts, she laid her head down on her paws to study what her fiancées seemed to enjoy most, for future reference.

0 0 0 0 0

In another part of Tokyo, Ai was rummaging through the dusty shelves of a curio shop, indulging in her secret vice, antique jewelry. She had quite a collection of rings and brooches, and one could never tell when one might find something nice in a little shop like this. She had sighted the shop when she'd been on her way home from school, and grumbling to herself about her squad complaining and the way Ayeka had been bitching about her talking to the Chinese girl instead of fighting her. If it hadn't been for the fact that Ayeka really was such a _good_ sub…

But that was the catch wasn't it?

She sighed. The problem was, she did want to beat Zhu Shu, but she wanted to do it more to save face for the cheerleading squad than out of pure animosity. As aggravating as losing to her had been, she had to admit that Zhu Shu had fought fairly, and had been graceful enough to call it a draw, when she could have possibly won. Zhu Shu had been tired, but Ai hadn't been certain the metamorphosing girl hadn't had another trick to pull out of her bag, and with the rest of her squad down, Ai had lost a lot of the mobility she counted on in a fight. She still _had_ to be defeated, but Ai couldn't make herself hate Zhu Shu like she did most of her rivals. And it wasn't because she was attracted to the Chinese girl, regardless of what Ayeka thought. Beyond making her a pet, Ai had absolutely no romantic interest. She was pretty, but she was far too much of a traditional Japanese female for her taste. Ai liked her girls a little kinky. Zhu Shu might be a lesbian, but she was _boring. _

Still, she had to find away to soundly beat Zhu Shu, to humiliate her like the squad had been, so that there was no question of who the ruling beauties of Furinkan were in the mind of the students, while still leaving a means for her to talk the Chinese girl into introducing her to Sailor Venus! Then she'd be able to tell the incredibly lovely blonde Senshi how much she worshipped her from afar… And she could crow to the Venus fanclub about actually meeting their mutual obsession!

"Humm. I sense a spirit searching for answers." A voice said from next to her, disrupting her fantasy. Ai turned to see the shop keeper, a wizened old man of indeterminate race. "You seek to best a rival?"

Ai nodded. "How did you know?"

The old man laughed. "You get to be my age dearie, it's a lot of been there, done that. You're looking, but not at what your hands are touching. Deep in thought."

Ai raised her eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

"I might have something that can help." He waved at the back of the store. "Come, let me show you my real stock, not this useless trash I keep out here for the common herd.

Curious, Ai moved in the direction indicated. The old man took her to a small room behind a curtain, and turned on the lights. Ai stopped and blinked.

The walls were filled with shelves containing a vast array of knick knacks ranging from grotesque to indescribably lovely. Rings, mirrors, daggers, shrunken heads, and other less identifiable items, crowded the various displays, and the very air felt strange, like it was filled with static electricity just below the level of lightning.

The old man crackled. "Here, my dear, you will find a means for what you seek."

Ai looked at the disarray. "In here? How?"

"Magic. I have charms for all sorts of things."

Ai blinked, then grinned. "That would be rather appropriate. My 'rival' uses magic. She turns into a dragon-girl."

"A dragon, you say?" The shopkeeper chuckled. "I've always appreciated a fine piece of tail, though I prefer vixens myself."

Ai sniffed. "What am I, a side of beef?"

"Not at all. Not at all." the shop keeper chuckled. "But I never molest customers, however much I might want to. Bad for business."

Ai nodded, mollified. "So what do you have that can help me beat her, without actually permanently hurting her?"

The old man rummaged the shelves for a few moments before emerging with a flask. "This. Dragons are very magical. This is the juice of a rare berry that affects only dragons. It will disrupt her magic, and cause it to fluctuate wildly. She will be unable to use her powers for a time. But be aware, its effect is short term. A matter of fifteen to twenty minutes, then she will experience a surge that she will not be able to control. It will leave her weak and intoxicated."

Ai raised an eyebrow. "I see. Will it harm her?"

"No more than you drinking an entire bottle of sake, sweet cheeks. It'll leave her with a huge hangover. It's not called Dragon Wine for nothing."

Ai's eyes glittered. "That will be perfect. Imagine her trying to fight me drunk."

"Make sure you give it to her in her true form. It won't work otherwise. If she's human when you give it to her there will be no effect."

Ai nodded. "That can be arranged."

0 0 0 0 0

Tao-Ching watched as the yacht pulled up at a slow pace and a lone figure jumped to the dock. His eyes narrowed as the yacht bounced off the pier and veered off into the night. He studied the figure on the dock.

The figure turned. "You may as well show yourself, assassin. I can sense your presence. You do not wish to anger me, as your friends aboard yon boat found out."

Tao-Ching didn't move from the shadows. "Saves me some money paying them then. Long time no see, Herb."

The cloaked figure turned more fully. "Your voice is familiar, assassin."

"Yours is a bit higher pitched. Mint's words make sense now, 'princess'."

The figure lashed out, a line of explosions crossing the dock to shatter the crate Tao-Ching had been behind, but he'd already moved. His last encounter with Herb had taught him the value of not being seen until he was ready to strike.

"You are quick, assassin, but you cannot hide forever. I _will_ kill you." Herb said.

"You make a lot of threats, Herb. Last time you swore you'd douse me in _Nyannichuan_ and lock me as a woman for your amusement. I see the worm has turned."

The figure reached up and lowered its hood, revealing Herb's face. Tao-Ching blinked. Other than Herb's hair coloring, she could have been a twin of Zhu Shu's cursed form. Herb finished drawing off the cloak, revealing the dragon scale armor she had always favored.

"Yes, I do indeed find myself in an unpleasant situation, Tao-Ching. But I am still more than a match for an orphan castoff that the Amazons took pity on."

"I have found my family name, Herb. But it seems you have lost yours. You were a fool to join with the Scorpion."

Herb turned further, her eyes probing the darkness trying to find Tao-Ching's hiding place. "The Scorpion have their uses. When I have retrieved the _Kaisufuu_, I will dispense with them."

"It's much too late for that, Herb. They have already dispensed with the _Musk_. I slew Lime not four days ago when he dared to assault the Amazons. Mint died two days after, sacrificed by your ally to keep us from questioning him. You are the last, Herb. When I kill you, the Musk will be gone."

Herb lashed out again, destroying a large pile of crates. "You will _pay_ for this murder, Tao-Ching!"

Tao-Ching laughed from another shadow. "Murder? You dare accuse _me_ of murder? Your assault left twenty Amazon warriors dead, and half the rest of the village cursed. Ripping out Lime's throat with my teeth has barely even begun to repay the debts you owe, Herb."

Herb lifted off the dock as the air swirled around her. "So, have you brought more Amazons to their deaths in a futile attempt to best me? Even as a woman, I am far your better!" The wind lashed out, destroying all the crates between the dock and the warehouse wall.

The warehouse groaned as the explosion shattered the wall as well, leaving a huge cloud of dust. The wind grabbed it and blew it away, leaving Herb a clear view of the devastation, but no sign of Tao-Ching.

"Your fortress looked a lot like that as it slid down the mountain." Tao-Ching's voice mocked from the depths of the warehouse. "It was very pretty how it fell apart."

Herb began to glow. "I will slay you and every single Amazon who ever drew breath for this outrage, Tao-Ching!" The glowing wind tore the warehouse apart.

"I've heard your threats before, Herb. Like your attacks, they're full of flash and fury, but you keep _missing_ the target."

"Coward! Face me!" Herb screamed. "Fight me like a man!"

There was the sound of a metallic click. "I see you've misunderstood the situation Herb. This isn't a _fight_…"

A red pinprick of light touched Herb's temple and she started to turn as Tao-Ching continued.

"…_It's an execution._"

Tao-Ching's finger tightened on the trigger of the AK-47, and the first three round burst of steel-jacketed armor-piercing rounds left the muzzle of the machine gun, propelled by high velocity charges. Blood sprayed from Herb's temple as she was twisted around in the air, and the object she had clutched so tightly in her hand flew away to clatter across the dock. A second round of bullets flew, striking Herb in the shoulder. The glowing wind around her flickered out as the bullet's impact threw the dragon princess through the air like a rag doll. She crashed into the waters of the bay and floated face down, blood staining the water around her before she slid beneath the waters of the bay, pulled under by the weight of her armor.

Tao-Ching stood on the dock, grimly watching as Herb sank, waiting nearly ten minutes as fins circled the red water before lowering the weapon and putting the safety back on. Finally sure Herb wasn't going to re-surface, he walked over to the object Herb had dropped, picking up the narrow bucket and fishing the ladle out from under the boards it had wedged into. He held up the bucket and laid the ladle across the handle like Lo Shen had advised him, and smiled as a beam of light shone off into the darkness. With a smile, he took the bucket to his Humvee. With a guide like this, there was no way he'd get lost! He'd have the _Kaisufuu_ back to the Tendos before morning!

0 0 0 0 0

As the lights of the Humvee faded into the night, silence reigned across the devastation. Hours passed before finally the scavengers came out. Dark shapes combed the wreckage pulling out whatever valuables could be found, before scurrying into the darkness again. One of the scavengers looked up as a faint noise came to his ears. He motioned to one of the others and they moved off in the direction of the noise. After several minutes of searching, they found the source.

Under the dock, tossed carelessly by the tide, was a naked girl. Blood was clotted from a bruised cut on her temple, a long line that creased her skull just above her ear. Another obvious bullet wound pieced her left shoulder blade, the wound far cleaner than any the men had ever seen. She was pale from blood loss, and unconscious, but didn't seem to be in danger of dying immediately. The first scavenger grinned. "Well. This is a pretty happenstance."

The other nodded. "Indeed. He'll pay nicely for a beauty like this."

"Truly. But we certainly can't deliver her untested can we?" The first said as he used his foot to roll the girl over and spread her legs to reveal her virginity.

"Absolutely not." the second grinned nastily. "Let me get the rope."

0 0 0 0 0

Several days passed without word from Tao-Ching, and Nabiki was starting to get worried.

And even hornier. Despite teasing her, Kasumi had so far been unbeddable, and she was getting enormously frustrated. She'd tried everything she could think of, including outright begging, and all her older sister had promised her so far was that if she was still that interested once the curse was unlocked, she _might_ consider it. Nabiki had been amazed by the iron will her sister hid under that calm, smiling exterior. She knew Kasumi was feeling the same effects of being a bunny-girl that Nabiki was, and was good naturedly putting up with them far better than either of her sisters… or even Nodoka. Both of the Saotome men had been wandering around in a happy daze half the time, and even though she knew Akane was making sure that Ranma was female when they were playing, the fact that her younger sister, who had _finally_ discovered sex, was out doing _her_ annoyed her. So far, she'd managed to maintain a modicum of control at school, though it took almost every ounce of willpower she had, but it kept getting worse. Tao-Ching needed to show up before she lost total control of herself!

It had become obvious that Kasumi's theory about her animal instincts getting worse as she came closer and closer to her period was correct, but it didn't make it easier to deal with. She still had a few days to go before it started, and the drive to mate was getting unbearable.

It was rare that anyone perked her interest enough for her to allow herself to feel attracted to anything but their wallet, and she wasn't used to having her mind wander constantly back to sex. She'd always felt pretty cavalierly about the whole issue, believing sex and love had very little to do with one another, but preferring to avoid the complications of dealing with most of her peers, refusing to be an emotional crutch to some angst and hormone driven idiot with nothing but ready access to female genitalia on his mind, or some flighty girl seeking to rebel or crucifying herself over the fact she had sex with other girls, but it was getting harder and harder not to look at everyone around her as a potential partner. Her reputation as an Ice Queen was already in peril with Tao-Ching chasing her, but if he didn't get back soon, she'd end up with a reputation as a slut worse than Ai!

Of course if she seduced _Ai_…

She sighed. Maybe if she told her sister she was contemplating such drastic measures, Kasumi would relent and give her a little relief. It was far more than frustrating hearing Akane and Ranma in the next room, and even with the fiber optic camera she'd drilled through the wall, she just wasn't satisfying herself. She couldn't figure out how her older sister was managing to deal with it so well. Kasumi had specifically avoided Doctor Tofu, and Ryouga hadn't been around, and while she might have suspected Zhu Shu was helping… Zhu Shu wasn't back from Hong Kong, or Nabiki would have long since dragged her into a bed. And it wasn't that Kasumi wasn't feeling it too. Being a bunny-girl had heightened more than just Nabiki's hearing, and some smells were impossible to hide from her nose. She knew she was getting Kasumi aroused, sometimes very highly, but her elder sister would just smile, tease her back a little, then gently worm her way out of the situation without giving in. That one concession from Kasumi was the farthest she'd gotten so far! And if it weren't for the fact that Akane had Ranma…

Ooooooh, when she got this curse unlocked, she was going to seduce Kasumi just on _principle_! It was totally unfair that she was being left here as horny as a rabbit in heat while both her sisters were finding ways to satisfy their own urges!

The thought was broken off before it could lead into the inevitable fantasy that would have followed by the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside. Nabiki ran downstairs and threw open the door to see a weary, battered, and bruised Tao-Ching coming up the short walk from an equally bruised and battered Humvee. She paid no attention to the muck as she threw herself on top of him, actually knocking the solid man down despite his larger mass.

"_WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?_" Nabiki yelled. "Oh, never mind where you've been!" She grabbed him by the collar, straddling his lap as she half lifted him from the ground. "Are you ever going to actually ask me out officially?" She drew his face close to look into his eyes. "Are you going to be my _boyfriend_?" She shook him. "And if the answer's yes, _DO YOU HAVE A CONDOM?"_

Tao-Ching blinked, and calmly smiled, unaffected by the shaking. "Nice to see you too, Nabi-chan."

"_DON'T CALL ME NABI-CHAN! _You have left me here for _days_ with a rabbit's sex-drive! _DON'T GRIN LIKE THAT!"_

Tao-Ching gave her a long looking over, taking in the extremely short skirt and top she was wearing, as well as the evidence she wasn't wearing anything under them. Nabiki felt the reaction under her and knew he liked the look. Finally, he held up an old brass kettle. "Will _this_ help?"

Nabiki looked at the kettle and blinked. "Is… is that it?"

Tao-Ching tipped the kettle over and a stream of hot water poured on Nabiki. Instantly, she felt a twist as her rabbit ears and tail vanished.

Along with the overwhelming urge to… well… you know.

Nabiki sighed in relief. "Gods. Thank you. You have no idea how maddening being a bunny-girl is." She released his collar and sat back, realizing the change hadn't apparently dimmed her appeal to Tao-Ching.

He shifted his hips under her. "I turn into a smilodon, Nabiki. I do have _some_ idea. I can smell a feline in heat for miles."

A cleared throat caught their attentions and they both looked to the house. Soun was standing there with his arms crossed, Kasumi peeking over his shoulder. Soun was giving them a hard look, and Nabiki slowly realized what he was looking at so sternly.

In the process of knocking Tao-Ching over, Nabiki's really short skirt had ridden up even further, and the fact that she was sans undergarment was extremely obvious. She blushed as Soun took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag.

Finally, he spoke. "Well, young man. I think I need to ask what your intentions are towards my daughter, since it seems she's made her intentions towards _you_ rather clear."

Nabiki rolled off Tao-Ching and pulled her skirt down. "Umm."

Tao-Ching waved her to silence as he stood and bowed. "My intentions are the same as they have been since I first met her, Soun-sama. I intend to woo her and win her heart, and eventually to win her hand."

Nabiki blinked at him in shock.

"I see." Soun said, taking another long drag on his cigarette. "Very well, I approve the engagement. It's a suitable one for Nabiki, as you come from a fine family, and Akane has accepted her familial duties to the School." He took Tao-Ching's hand and pumped it. "Welcome to the family, son."

Nabiki's stared at her father in even more shock. They were deciding on this _FOR_ her? "Hey... But... What..." she sputtered.

Tao-Ching grinned. "You've been waiting to do that since I got you drunk to tell you about Shan Pu, haven't you."

Soun puffed his cigarette, not saying a word.

"_DADDY!_" Nabiki yelled. Soun gave her a calm glance.

"Yes, daughter?"

"You can't just _engage_ me like this!"

Akane poked her head around the door. "Why not? It's what happened to _me._"

"But, but, but..."

"Nabiki, you asked him if he had a condom, and you were sitting on top of him, giving every indication you wanted to indulge in certain activities that should only occur between a wedded, or at the very least, an _engaged _couple. That certainly tells me you _wanted_ to marry him." Soun tossed the stump of his cigarette into an empty flowerpot, earning a sigh from Kasumi. "Now, I try to be a modern and liberal father, Nabiki, but there are proprieties that _must_ be observed. At least I'm now certain that _one_ of my daughters will be in something approaching a normal relationship. Now kiss him for pity's sake and drag him upstairs. I want grandchildren, I'm not getting any younger, you know."

Nabiki raised her eyes to heaven. "Am I the only one in this family who's sane?"

"So far, I haven't seen anyone who matches that description." another voice broke in.

Tao-Ching straightened like he'd been shot.

The rest of the group looked over at the woman who was casually leaned against the Humvee, dressed in a simple Amazon style tunic and breeches. She was fairly tall, and whip thin, with long hair tied into a crest that rose above her head, and fell almost to her feet in a cascade that shifted through various shades of magenta. She was holding a long shaft topped by a massive blade, kind of like a naginata, but the sword blade was almost eighteen inches wide and nearly four feet long, making the over all weapon nearly ten feet in length. Nabiki hazily recalled seeing one in a museum and the name she recalled was guan dao. Despite its size, the woman carried it like it weighed nothing.

Tao-Ching turned slowly.

"_Mother?_" he whispered.

The woman smiled, her soft expression a warm contrast to the obvious shock and dread on Tao-Ching's face. "Long time no see, Son. I hear you've been a bad boy. Lo Shen sent me to collect you, and the _Kaisufuu_." she said lightly.

"Oh shit." Tao-Ching groaned.

The woman moved in a blur, bopping Tao-Ching on the head with her guan dao. "What did I teach you about cursing!" she asked, the amused lilt still in her voice.

Tao-Ching rubbed his skull. "Alright, okay. I'm sorry. I went after the _Kaisufuu_ alone because I wanted to get it for Nabiki and her family. I was afraid if I told Lo Shen first, she'd demand I bring the _Chisuitton_ back to the village and that would take forever. I've seen the elders work, Mother. They'd have debated for days on who would need to be sent to retrieve this." He shook the kettle.

"That was not for you to decide, Son. I have been sent to bring you back to the Council. Don't make me have to tie you up and spank you."

Nabiki decided the most disturbing thing about the woman was the air of ineffable good cheer, like she would smile as she was cutting your head off.

"Alright. I submit, mother. You know I can't beat you." Tao-Ching raised his hands in surrender. "I don't even have my sword on me."

"It is good that you submit, my son, but foolish of you to wander around weaponless. But we shall speak of that later." She turned to look at Nabiki. "So, my son has chosen you as a mate?" She stepped around the younger girl, looking her up and down. Nabiki got the impression that the woman was highly amused by the short skirt and halter top. "Well, she has a nice body, but she's not a _warrior_ is she?"

Nabiki let out a "Hey!" in protest as Tao-Ching smiled. "Actually, she is Mother. A warrior of the mind and intellect. In our first battle, she bested me in fair combat, mind to mind. Rather easily I might add."

"So what's this business about _engagement? _You should have begged her to be your wife already."

Nabiki gulped. "Oh my. You mean those rules apply to the men too?"

Tao-Ching smiled. "Yes, but you didn't know, and I wasn't about to try and force them on you, regardless." He turned back to the Amazon. "This is Japan, mother. I can't apply all the Amazon laws to modern life."

The Amazon raised her eyebrow, the dark violet blending into her pinkish lavender hair. "Since when, son?"

Tao-Ching sighed. "Since I'm a legal citizen of Japan. I don't have the diplomatic immunity you have. Bribes only go so far. I can't just insist Nabiki marry me because she beat me in a deal. And besides, I want her to have a chance to make her own fortune, so she won't feel like I'm richer than she is anymore."

Nabiki blinked at him while the Amazon nodded approvingly. "At least you haven't succumbed to these foolish outlander notions of female inferiority. I'd have had to beat you senseless."

"Mother!" Tao-Ching rolled his eyes. "I may not be living in the Amazon village these days but I haven't lost my senses."

She ignored him as she stepped around to face Soun. "So, you are the father of my new daughter-in-law? I am Rin Se, daughter of Lat Her. Mother to this mannerless lout."

Soun blinked. "Um… Pleased to meet you."

"Is Tao-Ching in trouble?" Kasumi asked. "He _did_ get the kettle, after all."

Rin Se shrugged. "I don't know. Lo Shen was hopping mad when she ordered me to retrieve my son. He's always been trouble ever since I found him. Makes me wonder sometimes why I adopted him." She gave Tao-Ching a fond smile.

"Because you could never be bothered with any of the Amazon men, mother, only the women. It was either adoption or nothing." Tao-Ching said with an air of something said a million times.

"Paugh, weaklings all. I brought Tao-Ching up to be a _real_ man, almost the equal of a woman. Not a shy retiring man like most males." Rin Se said dismissively, patting Tao-Ching on the head proudly.

"Well, that explains most of the arrogance." Akane muttered.

Nabiki poured water from the kettle over her head, far more than was necessary to unlock her curse. "You're one to speak."

Akane glared at her as she moved on to Kasumi. A few seconds later all the Tendo girls were back to normal. Kasumi took the kettle back to the kitchen to fill a bottle with the water to unlock Nodoka and for emergency purposes before returning the kettle to the Amazon.

"Is Tao-Ching going to be punished for bringing this to us first?" Nabiki asked finally.

Rin Se gave Tao-Ching a mock stern glance. "I don't know. I suspect that to gain the _Chisuitton_ he had to kill Herb…"

Tao-Ching shrugged. "He deserved death. The Warleader was going to kill him anyway."

"This – as despite his skills with a sword, my son is not an accomplished enough fighter to meet him in a fair fight – means he has likely acted dishonorably and ambushed the Prince." For the first time, Rin Se's smile turned into a small frown

"Princess." Tao-Ching noted.

"Ah. Still, you were ordered to report to Lo Shen and instead took matters into your own hands. None of the Elders have much tolerance for that. I'm sorry, Son, but you brought this on yourself." Rin Se shook her head.

"Yes, Mother."

"What will happen to him?" Nabiki asked worriedly, visions of executions running around her head.

"The usual. An impossible quest. Righting some great wrong in repayment for his transgression. Slaying a demon. Rescuing a princess. Something no sane person would ever attempt, or something no-one can succeed at doing." Rin Se shrugged. "Still, he's a male. They'll go easier on him than they would a Warrior. Don't worry daughter-in-law. They'll leave enough of him to make sure I have grandchildren."

"_Mother!_" Tao-Ching said exasperatedly.

"What? Your mate's father is correct. We're not getting any younger."

Tao-Ching shook his head. Stepping up to Nabiki, he reached out and took her hand, raising it to his lips. "Don't worry Nabi-chan. I'll be back. If they were really all that mad, they'd have sent a whole troop instead of just my mother. Whatever punishment they set, it was still worth it to repay Herb for the debt he owed Shan Pu for her curse, and for nearly killing me. And if they punish me for bringing you the _Kaisufuu_ first, well that was worth it too, considering the greeting I got."

Nabiki smiled. "Don't get used to that. I wasn't entirely myself." She blushed. "I'm not a full time bunny-girl anymore."

"I'll see about that." Tao-Ching said with a grin. "You're way too cute with those ears."

He turned back to the Humvee to leave, only to have his mother push him towards the passenger door. "What, you think I trust _you_ not to get us lost? Lo Shen said with all haste."

Tao-Ching rolled his eyes before giving a "what can you do" shrug and climbing in the Humvee. Nabiki watched as they drove off, hoping he wouldn't be gone too long.

Then she did a double take.

_Shan Pu's curse?_


	10. Chapter 8: Conflicts of Interest

Chapter Eight: Conflicts of Interest

It was a subdued bunch of girls the tiger stripped saucer let out at the Amazon village. Zhu Shu led the way, followed by the Senshi. They looked weary and tired, but no worse for wear, though the mood was far from jubilant. Even Lum, when she emerged, looked slightly sad.

"I'm sorry Xi'an Chi escaped." Sailor Moon said for the umpteenth millionth time to the downcast Chinese girl.

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Project Banshee finished. That all that matter. Zhu Shu deal with Xi'an Chi again. Next time, he not escape." She sighed heavily. "Is not Usagi fault Zhu Shu not catch Xi'an Chi. No need apologize."

"No indeed, Princess." A still young Lo Shen said, coming up to meet them. "It is an honor for Princess Serenity to grace our humble village with her presence. Be welcome, along with your guardians." She bowed to the Senshi, then turned to Zhu Shu, "and to you as well Dragon's Child."

Zhu Shu bowed back, then kicked Usagi in the shin. The gaping blonde jumped, then hurriedly bowed as well. The other girls had already returned the courtesy.

"How'd you know I was Princess Serenity?" Usagi asked.

"The Amazons are one of the few peoples who were not silenced by Saturn when she rebirthed the world, Princess. We still remember what was in truth, not the history rewritten."

"Saturn?"

Lo Shen raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Not all your guardians have been reborn yet, Princess."

Usagi's eyes got round. As the blonde girl attempted to absorb that, Zhu Shu turned to Lum. "Zhu Shu wish to thank for bringing back to village."

Lum smiled. "I had fun here last time. And you don't call enough."

Zhu Shu gave her a small smile. "Zhu Shu's life is complicated. Very sorry. Should make more time for friends."

Lum shrugged. "Oh, that's okay. I know how it is. I have friends all over the galaxy." She smiled. "Just do me a favor and cheer up." She gave Zhu Shu a hug. "I gotta get back to Tomobiki. My little tracker is showing that Darling is trying to sneak out again."

Zhu Shu smiled. "Have fun with beloved."

Lum waved to all the girls as she flew back to her saucer and it zipped away. They all waved back as the saucer vanished into the distance.

"So how do we get home from here?" Usagi asked. "I had enough difficulty getting Dad convinced we had a way home without us getting stuck longer than a day. If we're not back home by tomorrow, he's going to let me have it."

"Zhu Shu said there would be a helicopter come to get us." Rei said. "So don't worry about it."

"Why couldn't we just go home?"

Zhu Shu broke in. "Ke Lun say come back to village." Zhu Shu turned back to Lo Shen. "Loremistress?" she asked in Chinese

"Yes, Child?" Lo Shen replied, in Chinese as well.

"I have spoken with my grandfather. He has finally told me who I am."

Lo Shen nodded. "If I may be so forward, Empress, it's about time Shi told you the truth."

Zhu Shu sighed. "Please Loremistress; I have no desire to be the heir to a throne no-one even remembers. I am content to be a servant. The titles have done nothing save make me a target of a madman, and cost Amazons their lives."

"Whether you wish it or not Zhu Shu, you are the Empress. You _are_ our liege. The Amazons swore an oath a millennia ago to be the guardians for Lin Tzu and Clan Dragon. We have spent three hundred years believing we failed our oath. You're not going to stop being the Empress just because you wish it, any more than we can abandon our oath to defend you. And I do not think Scorpion's attack on our village was primarily directed at you." Lo Shen said as gently as she could. "I know you don't feel comfortable with this, child, but you cannot escape your heritage. We will do what we can to support you, but now that you know the truth, you can no longer be shielded by ignorance."

Zhu Shu nodded, her eyes lowered. "I understand, Loremistress. But please, my name is far more comfortable for me to hear than a title."

Lo Shen smiled. "Very well. I certainly can sympathize. You have no idea how tired I get of being addressed as Loremistress."

Zhu Shu blushed. "My apologies, Lo Shen."

"None needed, Zhu Shu. However, did I hear you mention the name Xi'an Chi just now?"

Zhu Shu nodded. "He is the leader of Clan Scorpion. This much I learned from our travels to Lan Tao."

Lo Shen's mouth twisted in a sour look. "I see. We shall discuss this later, Empress," she said firmly. "Would that we had known that earlier. Regardless, for now, please come to speak with the Elders. They have been waiting to hear your news since Har Spra advised us of your coming."

"So can we know what you two are talking about?" Usagi complained.

Zhu Shu nodded. "Zhu Shu and Lo Shen needed settle something. Will need to advise elders of what occur in Hong Kong."

"Yes. The report Har Spra sent was… sketchy at best." Lo Shen said in accent free Japanese. "She kept bemoaning the fact she'd finally found a male who could best her, and he was unavailable. If I never hear the name Chan again…" Lo Shen sighed. "Of course, living in China, that shall be unavoidable." She turned to Usagi. "And, she failed to mention the Princess." She gave the odangoed blonde an amused look. "Though I am curious as to how you felt being at a festival held to mourn the fall of your previous self and Prince Endymion."

Usagi shrugged. "Kinda sad, I guess. It was strange."

The other Senshi nodded. Rei stepped up next to Zhu Shu. "Are you okay? You look like she gave you bad news." she asked quietly.

Zhu Shu shook her head. "No. Remind Zhu Shu of things she wish not necessary."

"Oh. Pushing you to find a husband?"

"Only part. Usagi not only person stuck with title not want."

"Oh. It was about you being the empress, huh?"

Zhu Shu nodded. "Yes. Xi'an Chi wishes to capture because is heir of Lin Tzu. If Zhu Shu no empress, she maybe be safer." She shrugged. "Zhu Shu think curse less trouble."

Rei nodded. "I guess. I can't say Usagi's really gotten much use out of being a princess either, other than it making her a target for Beryl."

Zhu Shu smiled. "Zhu Shu not feel alone then."

Rei laughed softly as they turned to follow Lo Shen to the Elders hall.

Inside the large hut, they found the Amazon elders waiting. Zhu Shu bowed to Ke Lun as she entered then guided the Senshi to seats along the wall.

"Zhu Shu must need tell elders what happen." she explained to the curious girls. "Forgive, but will be easier to speak Chinese."

They nodded, watching as she stepped before the elders' table.

"Greetings Zhu Shu," Ke Lun started. "Lo Shen informs me that Shi has finally told you your true heritage."

"Yes, Great-grandmother. He has told me of the history of Clan Dragon and his role in the events that led to the fall of our stronghold. I know about Clove of the Musk, and the events that led to his hiding." She paused. "I do not know if you know why my grandfather hid himself"

Ke Lun shook her head. "Shi has never explained."

Zhu Shu sighed. "According to my grandfather, the wizard Xi'an Chi was behind the aggression the Musk showed. He promised Clove she would have Shi following the destruction of our clan. When my grandfather escaped, Xi'an Chi attempted to capture him, and Clove gave her life to allow him to escape, realizing Xi'an Chi had used her." She paused and looked Ke Lun in the eyes. "I am cursed with her form, Great-grandmother. I know you could not help but to have known that."

Ke Lun nodded. "Yes. I did not know what you truly knew of your history, Great-granddaughter. I did not wish to burden you if you were unaware of the past."

The little Chinese girl nodded. "I understand, Great-grandmother."

"What of the events in Hong Kong?"

"There is not much I can say. Xi'an Chi was working with a group of Americans to create weapons. With the aid of the Senshi and the Heir of Clow Reed, as well as that of an American archeologist named Chan and his niece Jade, we ended the experiments they were performing on a young woman named Alice and destroyed the base. Regretfully, the leaders escaped."

Ke Lun nodded. "I see. That is a far cry from a 'scouting mission', young lady. I believe you promised to avoid danger, did you not?"

Zhu Shu hung her head. "I did, Warleader. I did not seek out danger, but it found me anyway."

"I see. You are fortunate indeed I have already decided to only bring Lung-Lung and Ling-Ling with me to Japan. Were you not as formidable a warrior as you are, Empress, I would have a full contingent of warriors follow you around."

Usagi saw Zhu Shu's face pale and leaned over to Rei. "What are they saying?"

Rei shrugged. "I don't know. I don't speak Chinese."

Zhu Shu meanwhile had recovered from the thought of being surrounded by a horde of Amazons at all times and looked at Ke Lun. "I thank you for your praise, Great-grandmother. And for your allowing me the freedom to defend myself."

"You have earned it Zhu Shu, at least until such a time as I deem greater protection is warranted. I will not allow the heir to the empire to come to harm."

Zhu Shu nodded. "I understand, Great-grandmother. Yet I do ask for as much leniency in this as you are willing to give."

Lo Shen laughed. "She's already given you far more leniency than some on this council feel she should, child. Yet I agree with her that keeping you on a light leash is best. For all that you are our Empress, you are still young, and have much of life to learn about. Experience is always the best teacher. Still, we will all rest easier knowing that Ke Lun will be near to your hand, as will our champion. I will also keep in touch occasionally. We do not seek to interfere in your life Zhu Shu, but we will not allow serious harm to come to you."

Zhu Shu bowed again. "I understand, revered Elders. I will not resist you in this unless I feel it is overly restrictive."

"Fair enough, Zhu Shu. Thank you for not putting us in a position where we would feel a need to disobey your orders to keep our oaths to your clan. However, knowing now that Xi'an Chi is the wizard behind our recent misfortunes, be aware we may have to revise these measures, my Empress. Xi'an Chi is the brother of Song Lin Tzu, and a most powerful adversary. While I believe you may one day exceed him in skill and power, at present he is far beyond you, and ancient in his evil. We have for most of a millennium believed him safely dead during the Silencing. To know that he was behind Clan Dragon's fall answers many mysteries behind those events." She turned to Ke Lun. "Will you approve of my wish to train any of our new tribe members who show talent as mages now, Ke Lun?"

Ke Lun nodded. "Very well, Lo Shen. I withdraw my objections to your plan. As badly as we need warriors, if Xi'an Chi should attack us directly, we will need magecraft far more. Let your apprentices train as many as can be found."

Lo Shen nodded. "Xi'an Chi ever was a cautious individual, Ke Lun. He will never attack in person where he can manipulate others to attack. If he has been defeated in Hong Kong, it will be some time before he can establish a new base of operations, and with the number of men we eradicated, the Scorpion tong will take months to rebuild. We should have several months to prepare before then. I will set my students to combing the records, and see what other evidence of his hand in our past affairs they can find. We will not be so vulnerable now that we know he yet lives." She looked to the other elders and switched to Japanese. "However, for now Zhu Shu is safe and well protected, so I believe this matter is settled?"

The other elders nodded. Ke Lun cracked an almost imperceptible smile. "Good." She added, also in Japanese. "Now, we have other matters to settle, including welcoming our esteemed…" She broke off as her ears twitched. "Ah… but first, we have a new arrival." She turned to the Senshi. "I apologize Princess Serenity, but I fear we have a tribal matter that must be dealt with immediately. I must beg your continued indulgence and patience. Once we have this settled, we will have a dinner to prepare in your honor. Our esteemed liege neglected to inform us you were returning with her, or we would have had a feast already prepared. It has been a millennium since the Moon Kingdom has been our guests."

Usagi blinked until Rei nudged her. "Tell her thank you, dummy!"

"Oh, um… Thank you and we don't mind waiting for you to finish your… um… tribal business." Usagi managed.

The sounds that Ke Lun's ears had picked up were audible now to everyone, proving to be the roar of a plane. It took several minutes as the tilt-rotor landed, then Tao-Ching was escorted in by an Amazon bearing a spear with an enormous blade. She bowed to the elders.

"I have returned with my son as you requested, Lo Shen. He submitted without protest."

"Thank you Rin Se." Ke Lun said. She turned to Lo Shen. "Before the accused is tried, I wish to make a statement."

"That is your right, Warleader. It may have no bearing on my decision as Loremaster."

"Of course not. Your job is to interpret the Law, as mine is to enforce it if need be. I wish merely to remind the Loremistress that Tao-Ching nearly died defending my great-granddaughter against the Musk. Herb owed a blood-debt to him."

Lo Shen nodded. "I have taken that into consideration, Ke Lun." She turned to Tao-Ching. "So, I'm in a bit of a quandary here, Tao-Ching. You disobeyed a direct order to report Herb's whereabouts when you found him, choosing instead to take him on by yourself. In so doing, you jeopardized our quest to retrieve the _Chisuitton_. While you apparently succeeded in obtaining the_ Kaisufuu_, you succeeded only by luck, and we suspect, by ambushing Herb. Despite your services to the tribe in the past Tao-Ching, your actions were reckless in the extreme and endangered our entire tribe. What have you to say?"

"I have no defense, Loremistress, save that Herb owed me a debt of honor. I took what steps I saw as necessary to ensure the _Kaisufuu_ was returned to the Joketsuzoku, and that Herb was repaid for the debts he owed to myself and the tribe."

"You took this on yourself? Why?"

Tao-Ching sighed. "With all due respect, elder, I had no time to do anything else. Those I had hired to detain Herb were killed. I went armed to deal with Herb, expecting to have him delivered unconscious and in chains, only to find him the only living person who left the boat."

"You should have advised us before making such arrangements, Tao-Ching. I could have advised you that Herb would have overcome any common warriors."

"She did not overcome _me_, elder. I retrieved the bucket and ladle, and the kettle."

Lo Shen looked at Tao-Ching for a long uncomfortable moment. Finally, as the silence grew oppressive, Lo Shen spoke again.

"It is only because you were indeed successful that I am willing to be lenient in sentencing you, Tao-Ching, but I cannot allow you to go unpunished. You were raised an Amazon, and as such, you are governed by our laws. I am tolerant of the fact that you are truly Japanese, Tao-Ching, but I cannot allow you to wholly forget your upbringing."

She stood and stepped around the table to look Tao-Ching in the eyes. "Your actions reflect your attitude, Tao-Ching. You are arrogant."

She motioned to an Amazon who stood to the side, and she brought forward a long chest and laid it on the table next to Lo Shen. The Loremistress placed a hand on the chest.

"You need to learn that there are some things more important than simple success. Winning at all costs is sometimes worse than losing when victory comes without honor. I fear that there may yet be repercussions to your actions we will all regret, but only time will tell. You have proven you can be a _fighter_, Tao-Ching, but the soul of a _warrior_ requires an understanding of honor that I am not certain you possess."

She opened the chest to reveal seven katana. "This is your punishment, your quest, your lesson. Among the treasures recovered from the Musk we found these blades. They are ancient, marked by family crests. You are charged with their return to the families they were stolen from. Return _their_ honor and perhaps you will find your own."

Tao-Ching bowed. "I understand, Loremaster. I will obey."

Usagi looked puzzled. She whispered to Rei. "That doesn't sound like much of a punishment."

Rei looked at her in surprise. "Are you mad? Don't you have any idea how impossible that's going to be? Finding the families those blades belong to? Between the War and the Shogunate, many samurai families don't even exist any more!"

"Oh."

"And if those are the family blades, their loss would have destroyed the family's honor. If any of them survived that disgrace, they'd have been pariah. The odds he can even finish this test in a lifetime are slim."

"Then why give it to him?"

"Test remind Tao-Ching of own honor. Test not intended to be completed." Zhu Shu supplied.

Usagi shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Sounds silly to me."

"I think it's a rather fitting punishment." Makoto said. "Martial Artists have a responsibility to uphold their own honor and respect the honor of those they fight. Sounds to me like Tao-Ching didn't fight fair."

Minako shrugged. "I don't know. He seems nice enough to me, and really cute and muscular."

Zhu Shu shook her head. "No. Hentai boy already claimed by Nabiki. No chase."

They all blinked. "Hentai boy?"

"Tao-Ching very appreciative of females. Fewer clothes better." Zhu Shu sniffed.

Lo Shen's ears twitched. "What was that, Empress?"

Zhu Shu blinked as Tao-Ching looked at Zhu Shu and paled. "Empress?"

Lo Shen smiled. "Yes. Empress. Song Zhu Shu is the heir to the true Song Dynasty and your liege as an Amazon. Did I hear her correctly? That you have treated our Empress improperly?"

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Tao-Ching has only expressed his opinion that I am attractive, mostly. While that opinion has been expressed several times while I have been in a more or less unclothed state, he's never done more than comment or look." Zhu Shu told Lo Shen in Chinese. "He has never laid hands on me."

That didn't stop Rin-Se from hitting Tao-Ching in the head with her guan dao. "Son! I taught you better than that!"

Tao-Ching growled. "Yes, Mother. It's a bad habit I picked up in the JSDF. Most male soldiers are perverts, because they get denied access to females for so long." He gave his mother a look. "And I grew up in a village where I was surrounded by beautiful women every day. I've developed a taste for having them around."

"Please, I'm fine with him. He's crude, but tolerable." Zhu Shu said.

Lo Shen gave the still pale Tao-Ching a look. "Very well. Your Empress is magnanimous." The twinkle in her eye told Zhu Shu she was rather amused.

Turning back to the girls, she bowed. "That concludes our official business. We certainly wish to show you proper hospitality, Princess Serenity. If I may escort you, we have a dwelling prepared for you to refresh yourselves as dinner is prepared."

She gathered up the Senshi and gently herded them out as Ke Lun motioned Zhu Shu to stay. As the Loremistress left, Ke Lun gave Zhu Shu a brilliant smile.

"Lo Shen wanted to be the one to do this, but I over-ruled her based on our relationship, Great-granddaughter. We have catalogued the treasures of the Musk this last week, and we found some things that need to be returned to you."

Zhu Shu blinked. "But I have never met the Musk before. They have stolen nothing from me."

"Three hundred years ago, they stole your heritage, Zhu Shu." She turned to the guard who had brought Lo Shen the swords. "Bring it in, please."

Every person in the hall was grinning as Zhu Shu blinked in confusion. The guard opened the large door she had been guarding and stepped inside, reappearing a few minutes later bearing a long pole with a golden banner on it. Zhu Shu's breath caught as the emblem captured the light and the Imperial Song Dragon glared at her.

Behind the banner, four more guards walked in bearing a sedan chair, also carved with Clan Dragon's crest and covered with gold inlays. More guards followed, each bearing in additional treasures, all adorned with the Dragon. Then a final package was handed to Ke Lun, who brought it to Zhu Shu.

"These are the treasures of the Dragon. It is our honor to return them to their rightful place with the Dragon's Child." She unwrapped the silk covering the bundle she was carrying and offered it to Zhu Shu. "This, I am especially proud to return, since it was originally my gift."

Zhu Shu unfolded the cloth to find a qipao of incredibly fine silk. The crimson fabric had been woven as a single piece and adorned with small Dragon mandalas made of tiny jewel beads. The hem was pure gold thread so fine it appeared nearly liquid, and the material was incredibly soft.

"I crafted this for Mu for her wedding dress. I had feared it destroyed forever with the fall of the Clan. Now, it can serve for you. The silk is from a rare species of silkworm that creates nearly unbreakable thread. It will stretch to fit regardless of whether you are in your true form or cursed."

Zhu Shu nodded. "It's beautiful."

"I look forward to your wearing it on your wedding day."

Zhu Shu blushed and reached behind her back to pull out her herb case. She opened it and lifted the trays out to reveal a small panel, which she lifted. Then she folded the dress carefully and laid it in the secure space. Re-closing the case she smiled at Ke Lun. "I shall keep it safe for that day, Great-grandmother."

Ke Lun then led her on a tour of the items, explaining their history and leaving Zhu Shu breathless with wonder. She had never imagined so much opulence.

"Shouldn't this all go to Grandfather?" she finally asked Ke Lun.

"Shi did not wish to see it. Too many painful memories. He said to keep it safe for you."

Zhu Shu nodded, running her hands over a beautifully crafted tea set. "Yes. Please, Great-grandmother. I have no idea what to do with any of this. Please keep it safe for me."

Ke Lun nodded. "There are other treasures as well. The Musk stole from more than just Clan Dragon. There is one I especially set aside. I intend it for Akane, but I think perhaps it will mean more coming from you." She lifted the cloth over one last item.

Zhu Shu stared for a long moment before hugging Ke Lun in joy. "They're perfect! Thank you so much, Great-grandmother. I can't wait to get home and give them to her!"

0 0 0 0 0

The dinner the Amazons threw for the girls was entertaining, and was a welcome break from the aggravations of their recent adventure. Zhu Shu smiled and danced along with the girls, glad most of the Amazons seemed unaware of her title, or at least, uncaring.

The flight back to Japan in Tao-Ching's plane was uneventful, the girls spending most of the flight looking out the windows. Stepping out of the tilt-rotor at Tokyo airport, Tao-Ching smiled. "Good to be home."

Zhu Shu nodded. "Zhu Shu feel same. Village not seem home any more."

"Your heart's here." Ke Lun said as she hopped over on her stick, once more her normal self. "It's only natural that you feel more comfortable here."

The unloading went uneventfully, and they waved the girls away in a taxi as Tao-Ching was trying to step into the driver's seat of the Humvee. Ke Lun waved him into the back, making Shan Pu's father drive instead. Zhu Shu had just met the small, wiry man, Gel, but she could see where Shan Pu had inherited her cheerful nature from.

They pulled up at the Tendos to let Zhu Shu out before heading off to the restaurant Ke Lun had bought, leaving her at the path with the single large crate she had brought back. As she looked up at the Tendo house, she blinked away a tear. Visiting her home village had illustrated where she really felt home was any more.

As she started up the walk to let Kasumi know she was home, it being a school day, she stopped when a small pink and purple kitten pounced on her from the roof. She smiled as Shan Pu nuzzled her face. "Zhu Shu happy see sister too." she said as Kasumi was opening the door.

"Oh my. You know?" Kasumi asked.

Zhu Shu blinked. "Know?"

"That that's Shan Pu."

Zhu Shu gave the kitten a look, then blinked, remembering Ke Lun's statement that Shan Pu was helping Ranma overcome his fear of cats.

"Akane and Ranma not know?"

Shan Pu shook her head.

"Akane's calling her China. She thinks she's just a smart cat."

Zhu Shu rubbed her temples. "Who tell you do this?" she asked the kitten.

"Apparently, Ke Lun told her to give this a try." Kasumi said.

Zhu Shu sighed. "Hope Great-Grandmother know what do. Zhu Shu not sure is best course. Akane not like be fooled."

Shan Pu looked forlorn.

Zhu Shu sighed. "Let get bath and you tell Zhu Shu what happen so far."

Kasumi looked at her crate. "Are we bringing that in?"

Zhu Shu smiled. "Zhu Shu not. Cannot lift. Was hoping Panda man bring in."

Kasumi smiled. "Of course. I'll bring you a tea set."

0 0 0 0 0

"I'm doing my best not to spy, Zhu Shu. I'm just being around her when she's here. And trying to give Ranma lots of small doses of kitty me." Shan Pu said as they shared the tub.

"I understand." Zhu Shu replied. "I just am worried. Akane is much mellower than she used to be, but she was extremely upset with me when I didn't tell her about you."

Shan Pu pouted. "All I want to do is get her to love me, and Ranma not to run whenever I come into a room."

"I know. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help much."

"You had your own life to deal with, Zhu Shu. You can't always help me out. Besides, I'm the Champion of the Joketsuzoku; I should be able to do this on my own." Shan Pu groused.

Zhu Shu splashed her. "Silly. Being a good warrior doesn't always make you good at the ways of love. Particularly with these two. Give it time. Akane takes forever to figure out her heart because she so seldom listens to it. Ranma ignores his because he doesn't understand it. And you are _all_ way too competitive. The way of hearts is not a challenge match. If you compete with each other, there are only losers."

"Gods, Zhu Shu. Why won't you just accept all of our offers of marriage? You could make this mess work. It's so tangled I don't even think my wish is going to come true, whatever Urd does."

"Humm?" Zhu Shu looked at her. "Wish?"

Shan Pu laughed. "Yes. When I was looking for Ranma, I ran across a drunk goddess. She granted me a wish, and has been trying to fulfill it ever since. She said she arranged for the voodoo priest to seal up the demon master, and called in Great-grandmother to witness it. She's been trying to help out, but she's not very good at it, I don't think."

"What did you wish for?"

"For everything to work out for us."

"Were those your exact words?"

"No. But I wanted to make sure that if I wished that my quest for Ranma worked out, I didn't want it be at your expense, so I included everybody involved. Not that I really expected the wish to be granted, but…"

Zhu Shu blinked. "Well, that explains some of the coincidences. I wonder what she's up to now."

The door slid open to admit Kasumi with a tea tray. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to listen but I did hear you as I came in. You said a goddess was involved in giving you a wish?"

Shan Pu nodded.

Kasumi looked at Zhu Shu. "Rei said a demon came to you and told you where to find Ranma?"

Zhu Shu nodded, then looked at Shan Pu. "I wonder if they're connected?"

"Urd did come in a few times complaining about someone named Mara." Shan Pu said, then did a double take at Kasumi. "You're speaking Mandarin?"

Kasumi blushed. "Well, Zhu Shu has been learning Japanese. I did take Mandarin in school, so I went to the library and got a couple of learning programs and I've been teaching myself."

Zhu Shu blinked. Kasumi's accent was so slight she'd not even realized she wasn't speaking Japanese, and in retrospect, she could recall a few times Kasumi had said something in Mandarin and she'd never noticed.

She stuck out her tongue. "You make me jealous. I'm lousy with languages. I know a lot of vocabulary words, but I'm lousy with sentence structure in Japanese. My English is a joke, and my Tibetan is embarrassing. I'm not even all that good at Cantonese."

Kasumi laughed. "I don't know what to say, dear. I'm fluent in English, French and now Mandarin."

Shan Pu and Zhu Shu both splashed her. Kasumi laughed. "I figured it would be easier for you. I know you're both working on your Japanese, and Akane now understands Mandarin since she got it from Zhu Shu, though Zhu Shu's lost the Japanese she learned from Akane…" Kasumi stopped. "I wonder if all of this is connected."

The two girls in the tub blinked. "Huh?"

"Shan Pu made a wish, and suddenly, Zhu Shu is visited by a demon who tells her where Ranma is." Kasumi explained as she set on the side of the tub. "And you said nothing like the exchange you had with Akane happened when you learned from Sarhia?"

Zhu Shu shook her head.

"I remember Ranma said that Sandal asked about magic surrounding the dojo during that night. I wonder if the reason you two merged was due to Shan Pu's goddess?"

Zhu Shu nodded. "That would explain a lot."

Shan Pu blinked at Zhu Shu. "You merged chi with my Ai Ren?"

Zhu Shu looked abashed. "Not intentionally."

Shan Pu smiled. "So that's how Akane knew the Song School."

"And the Dance of Shiva." Zhu Shu noted. "She learned all my _skills_, and I mainly got her _emotions_. After I died, I seem to have lost most of it."

Shan Pu frowned. "I still wish I had been there. I could have kept you from dying."

"I had to merge all the power the Senshi could throw my way and every last bit of my own chi to kill that thing, Shan Pu. I wasn't planning on dying, but I couldn't control my fall."

"I could have caught you."

Zhu Shu gave her sister a peck on the cheek. "Of course you could have."

The sound of the front door opening caught their attentions. "Kasumi! We're home!" Akane's voice came from the front of the house.

Shan Pu looked at the bucket of cold water, then smiled mischievously. "Great-grandmother came with you, right?"

Zhu Shu nodded.

Shan Pu smiled wider and launched herself out of the tub and out of the room. Kasumi and Zhu Shu listened as she bounded down the hall with a cry of "Ai Rens!"

There was a surprised cry of "Shan Pu!" then a crash.

Kasumi smiled. "She's been pouncing Akane everyday when she comes home. Sound's like she just did it as herself."

Zhu Shu laughed.

0 0 0 0 0

They found Akane in the foyer drying off after a hug from a very smug, wet, naked Amazon. Ranma was snickering from the railing of the stairs, where he'd escaped a similar fate, but he lost his balance in surprise when Zhu Shu came down the hall in a towel.

"Zhu Shu! You're back!" Akane exclaimed when she noticed the diminutive Chinese girl.

"Yes. Return with Tao-Ching and Ke Lun."

"Cool. Nabiki will be happy to hear her fiancé's back." Akane said with a smile

Zhu Shu blinked. "Nabiki engaged?"

"Yeah. Short story. Dad caught her trying to make out with him in the front yard, so he engaged them."

"There's more to it than that, dear. We were having a bit of a problem with hyperactive sex drives. Nabiki was extremely frustrated."

"Ai Ren not bunny-girl any more." Shan Pu added.

Zhu Shu's eyes widened. "Being rabbit make want sex?"

Kasumi smiled. "Extremely."

"AND ZHU SHU NOT HERE?"

Everybody laughed at the forlorn note she put into her voice.

0 0 0 0 0

Zhu Shu spent the next hour with Akane, Ranma and Shan Pu catching up on what had happened. She let Ranma and Akane think Shan Pu had arrived with her and Ke Lun, but finally, Kasumi called to let them know dinner was ready.

After dinner, Zhu Shu rose to stand by the big crate she'd had Genma lug in and waited for everybody's attention.

"Zhu Shu brings gifts from China. Many things discovered in Musk fortress." She unlocked the catches and opened the lid.

"First, for aid in defending village, Amazons share spoils." She struggled to pick up a large chest, finally looking pleadingly at Genma. He stood and hefted the chest out, grunting with the weight, and set it down on the floor. Zhu Shu knelt and unlocked it as well. As she lifted the lid, everyone gasped.

The chest was filled with large gold coins. Nabiki blinked in shock. "Do you have any idea how much that is?"

Zhu Shu shook her head. "Did not count."

Nabiki blinked several times, her eyes not moving.

Zhu Shu went back to the crate. "Zhu Shu also bring several treasures as gifts." She brought out a finely embroidered silk shirt. "Clan Dragon recover many things from Musk. This for soldier of high rank."

She handed the shirt to Ranma, who shook out the midnight blue silk to admire the gold and scarlet dragon. "It's beautiful," he said.

Zhu Shu nodded. "Ranma need nice clothes wear on date." She tossed him a pair of matching pants and shoes, as well as a red sash belt. "Now have no excuse."

Ranma sighed as everyone gave him a significant look. "Alright already!"

Zhu Shu smiled as she handed a package to Kasumi. "These for you."

Kasumi unrolled the bundle to find a set of gold handled kitchen knives. "Oh my!"

"Very sharp. Amazon smiths say very old too."

Kasumi nodded and smiled. "Thank you, these are wonderful."

The next item was an abacus carved from a dark wood and inlaid with gold and silver dragons. The beads were various shades of jade. Zhu Shu handed it to Nabiki. "This for you."

Nabiki took it and smiled as well. "An antique worth a small fortune. I shall have to find a safe place for this."

Zhu Shu nodded and handed the next item to Soun. "For both fathers Zhu Shu has in Japan."

Genma peeked over Soun's shoulder as he lifted the lid to reveal an ornate antique Go board made of jade, with ivory and jet stones. They both looked at her with tears of joy. "We will treasure this forever!"

The next item she took out was a set of jeweled gold and silver combs that she handed to Shan Pu. "For use on dates with Ai Rens."

Shan Pu smiled and nodded happily.

Zhu Shu gave a long slow smile to Akane. "Zhu Shu not forget Akane." She reached into the crate and pulled out a long case of carved teak. "Zhu Shu save for last."

She placed the case on the table in front of her and pointed out two carvings. "To open must press here." She touched the two together and there was a faint click. She lifted the lid towards Akane.

Akane gasped. "Oh my," she said faintly in imitation of Kasumi. Hesitantly, she reached out, hardly daring to blink lest the vision in the case vanished. Her touch confirming its reality, she lifted the twin objects from the case to display them for everyone.

The twin Song broadswords were nearly as ancient as Zhu Shu's; the blades still mirror bright and razor sharp. Etched into the sides of the blades were matched tigers in mid spring. The circular guards were also carved into tigers curled around the blade. The hardwood hafts were of an orange and black wood, ending in carved gold tiger's head pommels, their roaring mouths forming the rings to which long orange and black striped ribbons were attached. Akane stood and took them to the small wooden deck just outside the dining room and took a stance, flowing into a twirling form that caused the swords to sing merrily. Akane beamed.

"How ever can I repay you for this?"

Zhu Shu smiled and in Chinese replied. "There was never a need to repay me, Akane. If anyone deserved those swords, it was you. I do not know their age or history, but they were crafted by a master. And like my blades, they were crafted for a blood bond."

Akane blinked. "You are linked to your swords?"

Zhu Shu nodded. "As you must be to these if you wish to fully use the Song School. Only by joining with the blade may the full power of your chi be unleashed. The blades will become a conduit that will not resist your will. Once linked, you will be bound to these blades for life."

Akane looked down at the swords. "The Dragon and the Tiger," she murmured softly. Looking up she smiled. "Tell me what to do."

You must anoint them with your blood and chi." She held up her palm to show the faint crescent mark in her palm. "It doesn't require much."

Akane nodded. Stepping up to the table, she laid the blades in the box and held out her palms. Shan Pu produced a small throwing dart and looked at Zhu Shu. At her nod, she stepped forward and as gently as she could cut two small crescents on Akane's palms. Akane reached down and grasped the blades, channeling chi into her blood as it touched the hilts. A slow wave of gold fire burned along the blades as the tigers seemed to spring to life and roar. As the fire encompassed the entire blade, Akane gasped.

"I can feel them. Like extensions of my body."

The ribbons unfurled themselves and began to make slow undulations despite the absence of wind or movement of the blades, lashing almost like the slow wave of a tiger's tail.

Setting the blades back down, Akane looked down at her hands and the healed crescents. Shaking her head, she reached behind her back and pulled out her practice swords, handing them to Shan Pu, then took her new ones and put them away.

Looking at Zhu Shu again, she smiled. "Thank you."

0 0 0 0 0

After dinner, Shan Pu "went home" and China put in her appearance, earning a fuss from Akane as a lazy kitty who'd probably been sleeping in some warm corner until the sun set. China just gave her a cool look, as if to say "I was doing no such thing" before confiscating Akane's lap. Ranma set behind Akane, doing fine so long as he couldn't actually see the kitten.

While Soun and Genma broke in the new Go board, Zhu Shu filled everybody in on her visit to Hong Kong, and dragged every last detail about the last week out of the Tendo girls. She also answered the mystery of where Kodachi had vanished to, informing them that the obsessive martial gymnast had tracked her to Hong Kong in an attempt to "defeat the Chinese demon who had dared lay hands on her goddess." This news made Akane wince.

Zhu Shu also told them of the meeting Tao-Ching had had with the elders and the quest he'd been put on. Nabiki sighed in relief when Zhu Shu gave them the news.

All in all, the night went quietly, a far cry from what awaited tomorrow.

0 0 0 0 0

The next morning began quietly enough, China sneaking away after breakfast so that Shan Pu could be waiting outside to join them for her first day at school. Even the walk to school was uneventful, for once no-one splashing anyone, nor was anyone waiting to attack at the school.

Indeed, nothing at all unusual, strange or out of the ordinary occurred until school began. That was when the handsome new student was escorted into Ranma and Akane's homeroom by the principle's secretary, Miss Tsukigumo. Ranma blinked as most of the girls sighed happily. There was something about the boy that struck a familiar cord in his memory.

Then, the teacher announced his name.

"Let's all give a big welcome to Ukyo Kuonji."

Ranma straightened like a shot. "Uc-Chan?"

The new guy looked at Ranma and smiled a rather cold smile. "So you _do_ remember me, huh? I certainly remember you, Ranma."

"Yeah, I remember you. Okonomiyaki Uc-chan! We used to be best friends."

"Really? That's why you ran away?" The smile grew even colder. "I've spent years hunting you, all so I could give you this!"

A small round object flew from his hand towards Ranma's face. He caught it and looked, noting it was an okonomiyaki. Spelled out in sauce on the pizza was a challenge. He blinked.

"You're challenging me?" He looked at the cold stare Ukyo was giving him and shrugged. "Fine. When and where."

"After school, in the athletic field. I want everyone to have a nice view of me beating the tar out of you."

Ranma shrugged again. "Okay." He ate the okonomiyaki. "Heh. Just as good as I remember."

The teacher looked between the two boys. "That settled? Good, take your seat."

0 0 0 0 0

"You really should have gone to school today, Usagi." Mamoru said as the boat pulled up to the dock. "Not that I'm not enjoying a day with you, but you've already missed a week."

"A week without you. I just couldn't stand it."

Mamoru smiled. "Silly. You called me almost every day." He stepped up to the dock and offered Usagi his hand, helping her out of the boat.

"Oh, you're so gentlemanly." Usagi said as she stepped on to the dock.

Mamoru avoided saying it was because Usagi likely would have fallen into the water otherwise, though she was benefiting some from these martial arts courses with Zhu Shu. He simply pulled her close. "Of course. You bring out the gentleman in me."

Usagi smiled and pulled him down for a long kiss.

Sadly, said kiss was interrupted.

All Usagi knew was that something heavy landed on her head, knocking her to the ground. When she recovered enough to look up, she saw Mamoru had been knocked down, and a small, vibrantly pink haired girl was kissing him.

"HEY. _WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!_" she yelled.

The pink haired girl turned, revealing eyes that were a sinister shade of magenta. "Usagi Tsukino. Why are you wearing my trademarked odango?"

"Hey, odango are my trademark! And I'm Usagi Tsukino!"

"You are Usagi Tsukino? Then you know where the _Ginzishou_ is!" The small girl hopped over to Usagi and produced a pistol, placing the barrel between Usagi's eyes. "Give it to me."

"Now, now." Mamoru tried to move towards them. "Little girls shouldn't play with guns."

"One more step and she gets it!" The girl warned. "Now I want the _Ginzishou_!" she said to Usagi.

"Um… err… um… I don't know what you're talking about?" Usagi tried.

"So, you won't just give it to me, huh. Too bad."

The pink haired girl pulled the trigger as Mamoru screamed "Nooo!" and dove towards Usagi. He grabbed her as she fell backwards, then both their eyes went to the small flower stuck to Usagi's head by a suction cup.

"It was a toy?" Usagi asked.

Mamoru looked for the girl to tell her it wasn't a funny joke…

But the pink haired girl had vanished.

0 0 0 0 0

"She's going to be fine, Urd. She's just still weak. As far as I can tell, she wasn't mortally wounded, just tortured." Belldandy said as she came from the room they'd put Mara in. "Though I shudder at the fact someone would do that to her."

Urd nodded. "The only one I can think of who could would be Hild. You've heard the stories."

"I know. I just hate to think anyone could be that cruel." Belldandy said sadly. She wrung her hands in her apron. "And I have no idea what Legend did to her either. She's not a demon anymore. I think she's a goddess."

"How is that possible? How can anyone change what she is? I've never even heard of Kami-sama doing that!" Urd shook her head. "And wouldn't the doublet system stop it?"

Belldandy raised her hands. "I don't know."

Urd sighed. "Is she awake?"

Belldandy nodded.

Urd knocked on the door and opened it to the faint response. Mara looked up from her breakfast. "Urd!"

"Um, heya Mara. Feeling better?"

"Much. Belldandy says I lost a lot of blood, so I have to eat to replace it. I'm still a little woozy, but I can focus."

Urd smiled. "That's good. Do you remember much?"

Mara shook her head. "I was in a funk, I know that. A lot of my memories for the last couple of months are foggy. I… I was angry a lot. And I remember the pain, knowing that I was going to be forced to hurt…" her voice faded so that Urd barely caught the "you." Mara couldn't meet her eyes.

"You didn't want to hurt me?" Urd asked. "You were saying you were going to make me your slave."

Mara looked away. "I'm sorry. I don't remember much. I know I was a bitch."

"You're always a bitch, Mara. It's your job. You were positively _evil_ for awhile though." Urd laughed.

Mara sighed. "I never wanted to be a demon, Urd. I couldn't help what I was born as. I was always jealous that you could choose; that you chose to be a goddess while I _had_ to be a demon."

Urd blinked. "I never knew that."

Mara gave her a half lidded look. "No. You never did. You never asked either. Do you even have any idea how hard I had to work to get assigned to you all as chief adversary?"

Urd shook her head. "I thought it was just luck."

Mara laughed. "You wish. I had to beat out Velsper for it." She gave Urd another half lidded look. "I think it was worth it."

Urd shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Those looks carried way more meaning than she was sure she wanted to respond to. Mara noted the fidget and looked away. Urd sighed.

"Do you remember when Keiichi and I brought you here?" she asked finally.

Mara nodded. "It's one of the few things I do remember clearly. You held me in your arms as we started leaving the apartment."

Do… do you remember what you said?"

Mara shrugged. "Do you?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"Then don't worry about it." Mara sighed. "He did tell me there were no certainties."

"The Dragon?"

Mara nodded.

"You're in love with me aren't you?" Urd said. "That's what you said; 'I love you'."

"Yes."

"For… for how long?"

Mara laughed bitterly. "For forever. Since we were in school together."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything. Let me keep hoping that someday my love won't be in vain." Mara sighed. "He gave me a choice, don't you know, for killing his daughter. I could cease to exist and escape Hild's wraith, and no longer have to do her bidding, sparing you from the mischief she wanted me to wreak."

"Or?" Urd prompted.

"I could give up everything I was to him in exchange for a chance. Only a chance."

"A chance at me?"

Mara nodded. "I gave up everything, my life, my job, even my powers as a demon. I'm nothing anymore, Urd. Just a mortal in love with a Goddess. Gods, I can certainly sympathize with Keiichi now."

Urd blinked. "Mara…"

"Please, Urd, I don't need false words of comfort."

"Belldandy said she thinks you're a goddess now." Urd finished.

Mara blinked. "What?"

Urd looked around and grabbed a hand mirror, handing it to Mara. The former demon looked, and blinked. "Yin Yang's?"

Urd raised an eyebrow and looked closely at Mara's marks. It wasn't obvious unless it was in shadow, but she was right, the golden marks she had taken to be claws were one half of the overall symbol. The Yin half was such a pale gold, it had blended in with her skin in the light. In shadow, it contrasted better.

"We think Legend made you a Goddess…" Urd said softly. "…like me."

Outside in the hall, the phone rang. Urd and Mara both looked towards the sound. After a second, there was a knock on the door and Belldandy peeked in. "Um… I have a phone call from Licensing… for a Mara, Goddess, third class, probationary."

Mara fainted.

0 0 0 0 0

"Yes, okay, alright, Shan Pu IS my fiancée as well as Ranma!" Akane finally yelled to the pestering girls in her gym class. "_THAT DOES NOT MAKE ME A PERVERT!_"

"But if you're marrying a girl, you have to be." Asuka said, holding her towel up to cover her breasts.

Akane growled. Shan Pu just had to give her a kiss and a swat on the rear in the hall as they went to classes. She was going to kill the Amazon!

"Look. I had to get engaged to her because of the laws of her tribe! Ranma's Grandfather arranged some sort of dual marriage with her as his other fiancée, so I had to get engaged too!"

"Why Ai Ren not tell truth? She win Shan Pu in fair combat." Shan Pu's voice came from behind her.

Akane turned to the dressing room door. "What are you doing here? Don't you have class?"

"Shan Pu have Home Ec. She teaches teacher right way make ramen. Teacher send in hall, so Shan Pu come find Ai Ren. Ranma in boy gym, so come see other Ai Ren."

"Oh gods." Akane mumbled. "Shan Pu, you can't just wonder the halls. If the teacher had you stand outside it was meant to be a punishment."

"Punishment? Teacher only give buckets of water to hold. Shan Pu learn balance when child. Put buckets on top of funny thing in yard outside."

Curious, Akane had to go to the door and look. "That's a goal post, Shan Pu. How ever did you get them up there."

"Jump. Not too high for Shan Pu."

A flash of light from across the athletic field caught Akane's glance, and she blinked. "That's funny."

Shan Pu looked up from admiring Akane's rear in the tight fitting gym outfit. "Humm?"

"I could have sworn I just saw somebody watching us. Someone in a long Chinese robe."

Shan Pu looked out. "No see anybody."

"He's gone now."

"So you two want some privacy?" Sayuri said.

Akane whirled. "What?"

"She shows up and you just forget we're here, hummm? And you say you're not a pervert?"

Shan Pu picked Sayuri up and said, "You no call Ai Ren pervert!"

"Please put her down, Shan Pu. This is my problem." Akane said. As the Amazon complied, Akane stepped forward.

"Now, I'm only going to say this once. Yes, I do like girls as well as guys. In my case this is limited to a very select few girls. Namely two: Zhu Shu and Shan Pu."

"Now, knowing I live with Zhu Shu, and her preferences are well known, it should be obvious where that came from. Now, Shan Pu is Zhu Shu's sister, and that should answer a few other questions. Now, on top of that, Shan Pu can almost beat Ranma in a fight, and holds even with me. In light of all that, do you really want to aggravate _any_ of us?"

Sayuri swallowed hard. "Geez, Akane, we're just joking."

Akane looked around at the other girls in the gym. "Is that true?"

The other girls nodded, wide eyed.

"Good. I will consider the matter settled."

"My Goddess! There you are. I'm so sorry I was away for so long! I got delayed in Australia, but now I'm here!"

Akane cringed. "Oh gods. Kodachi's back."

The raven haired gymnast landed at Akane's feet. "What may I do to show my adoration for my goddess?"

The feeling of a raging battle aura filled the air as Shan Pu looked at Kodachi. "Shan Pu think not like what girl say. Akane Shan Pu Ai Ren."

Kodachi looked at the Amazon. "Ai Ren?" she looked back at Akane. "Have you gotten some cheap Chinese whore to be your slave because I was gone, Mistress?" She gave Shan Pu a cool look. "I'm certain you must have been desperate to have chosen such a barbarian."

It was a good thing the gymnast was quick, as she barely moved away from the sudden impact crater left by Shan Pu's bon buri.

"Shan Pu kill! Akane is Shan Pu Ai Ren. Fiancée!"

"Fiancée? My Beloved Goddess?" Kodachi laughed. "I see my Mistress has been ensorcelled. I say never! I accept your challenge, barbarian! I will trounce you and free my Goddess!"

"Idiot girl meet Shan Pu outside!"

"Pagh! I shall meet you in a proper challenge! In one week I shall meet you on the field of combat in the school gym! The Rhythmic Gymnastics tryouts shall determine which of us my Goddess shall favor!" With a maniacal laugh, Kodachi started her rose petal blizzard. "Farewell for now, Barbarian!"

Shan Pu incinerated the petals as Kodachi bounced away across the field. "Shan Pu very angry now. Make idiot bouncy girl very dead at challenge."

Akane sighed and shook her head.

0 0 0 0 0

At lunch time, Ai watched Zhu Shu come out into the school yard with a smile. Phase one was about to start. She had been patient; waiting for the Chinese girl to return to school, but now, the time to strike had come. She signaled the squad to stand ready.

"Now remember, _don't let her distract you again_. I don't want a repeat of last time."

"But won't that drink weaken her?" Kyoko asked. "You said it was going to weaken her."

"Yes, but that would only make losing to her even more humiliating. Stay focused!"

The five girls watched as part one was carried out flawlessly. The Hentai Squad, carefully armed with Super Soaker Bazookas, managed to catch Zhu Shu after little more than five minutes. She shook her head ruefully as she stood dripping in the thin white dress, then bowed to the crowd of boys who had all fainted from nosebleeds.

Ai's eyes narrowed as Zhu Shu then went to her customary spot near a tree at the edge of the field and set down to eat, pulling out her small brazier and bento. Ai paid special attention to the small thermos Zhu Shu pulled out, grinning viciously as she sipped. As Zhu Shu finished her lunch, Ai gave the signal.

The blonde dragon-girl sighed as the cheerleading squad tumbled into the open area before her tree and struck poses. Ai stepped down from the hands of Ayeka and Megumi and gave Zhu Shu a long look. "Okay, Zhu Shu. We never settled this last time, and I've trained my squad better. I'm the prettiest girl in this school and it's time Furinkan re-learned that!"

"Ai not get argument from Zhu Shu that is pretty. Has tried to get Hentai not chase." She gave the tall cheerleader a long look. "But is right. Zhu Shu lose temper last time, not fight well. Is game for rematch."

The news spread like it always did, and less than five minutes later the athletic field was crowded. Akane and Ranma stood at Zhu Shu's end of the field looking at the cheerleaders nervously.

"Be careful, Zhu-chan. Ai's been training the squad pretty intensely since your last match." Akane said.

"Yeah. Are you sure you want to fight her in your cursed form?" Ranma added.

Zhu Shu nodded. "Lose temper last time when change. Maybe if already changed not lose control."

"Okay."

"And no interfere!"

"Okay, okay. I promised last time. So long as she's not trying to outright kill you."

"Don't worry, Zhu-chan. I'll keep him out of it."

A cheery "Ni hao!" announced Shan Pu's arrival. "Heard blood-sister challenged."

"Yes."

Shan Pu nodded. "Is referee. Make sure fight fair."

"Not one on one. Zhu Shu fight squad."

Shan Pu grinned. "Even better. Shan Pu like melee."

Zhu Shu shook her head, and blinked at the wave of dizziness.

"Sister okay?" Shan Pu asked, noting the surprised look.

"Zhu Shu fine." She stepped out onto the field to stop any further questions.

Ai led off with a flying kick after being catapulted by Ayeka and Megumi. Zhu Shu dodged as she reached to pull out her ribbons, then blinked in shock as she felt her chi refuse to respond. A wave of dizziness struck as Ai's heel slammed into the small of her back and hurled her towards the waiting squad.

Ranma blinked as Zhu Shu landed in the middle of the girls. "Something's wrong. She's moving way too slow."

Akane blinked and nodded. "She's not glowing. Her chi's missing!" She waved at Shan Pu, trying to get the Amazon's attention as she monitored the fight. "Shan Pu!"

The Amazon was frowning at where Zhu Shu was blocking several pom-pom thrusts. She heard Akane's shout and hopped over, keeping her eyes on the fight. "Why sister not use weapons? She want lose?"

"Something's wrong with her chi!" Akane hissed. "I can't see her aura!"

Shan Pu raised an eyebrow. "If sister no have chi, she maybe not win!"

"Oh man. I gotta stop this!" Ranma said, preparing to step out on the field.

"Ai Ren will not! Is challenge!" Shan Pu responded. "Will keep eye on sister! Ai Ren stay!" She jumped back out into the center of the field towards the fight.

Zhu Shu for her part had just blocked a high kick from Kaede when she felt her head spin savagely. She stumbled to her knees as Ai smiled. "Feeling a little punch drunk?"

Zhu Shu warily stood again and gave her a grim and toothy smile. "Again, Zhu Shu not fight best." She yanked at the sash to her dress, and lashed out with it, catching Ai's leg and tripping her. "But she still game."

Kyoko and Megumi responded with an exploding pom-pom attack that left Zhu Shu's dress in tatters. The dragon-girl gave the viciously smiling Kaede a glare as she stood smoking. "Not want make Zhu Shu mad!"

The glare lasted for a few seconds only as once more the wave of dizziness hit, leaving her wide open for an air kick. More cloth flew as Zhu Shu slammed into the fence around the field. She braced herself against the fence as she tried to stand, but the dizziness was overwhelming.

"Shan Pu call halt!" she heard her blood-bister announce. "Sister never fight this poor! Shan Pu think Ai do something to Sister."

"Stay out of this girl! This is between Zhu Shu and my squad!"

Zhu Shu fought to her feet and nodded. "I will fight, Shan Pu. I'm just dizzy." She said in Chinese. "This is between Ai and I." She turned to the blonde cheerleader. "Zhu Shu not care if Ai cheat. Still will beat."

"Big words, Zhu Shu. Won't be so easy without your magic."

"Sister no need magic deal with pervert girl." Shan Pu said as she handed a pair of wooden practice swords to Zhu Shu. "She only need sword."

Zhu Shu took the swords and smiled. "When ready."

The other cheerleaders looked to Ai for a cue. Ai smiled. "I think I like it when you're naked Zhu Shu. Maybe after I've beaten you, you can be my pet."

Ayeka's eyes burned at Zhu Shu as the Chinese girl nodded. "You say same last time. Still no do."

Ai's eyes gave her just enough warning to jump above the pair of batons that cut across where her ankles had been, but without chi, her speed wasn't enough to avoid a second volley of exploding pom-poms. Barely enough of her dress survived the blast to keep the Hentai squad from going comatose, but the explosion left her reeling. She recovered just in time to meet a baton attack from Ayeka that would have sent her into unconsciousness. Her swords twisted as she sent the batons flying into Kaede, doubling her over.

"Y– you bitch!" Kaede choked out. "I'll get you for that!" She launched herself at the dragon-girl.

Zhu Shu met the attack with a parry and a twist that sent Kaede face first into the ground, but it left her open as Ai once more planted both feet in her back. She staggered forward into a simultaneous Air Kick and pom-pom barrage, the impacts driving the wind from her as she was hurled into the fence. She slammed into the chain links with a gasp of pain as within her she felt her hold over her anger fail, and a sound of a vast beast roaring in triumph filled her ears

She faintly heard Akane scream her name as the world turned inside out and fire burned along every nerve. She lurched forwards on her hands and knees as she tilted her head back and screamed. It felt like her very soul was burning.

The entire school watched in amazement as a column of fire shot out of Zhu Shu's mouth and engulfed the bench by the field. As the flames died, ash drifted down from where the bench had been. Zhu Shu shakily stood and stumbled a few steps clutching her head as her aura returned, glowing a swirling gold streaked with black. The cheerleaders stepped back, wondering what was happening.

Zhu Shu hit her knees again, her aura growing brighter and brighter as she moaned softly. With a loud tearing noise, the remaining shreds of her dress ripped asunder as a pair of small wings sprouted from her shoulders and a thick tail sprouted from her spine, both covered in tiny black scales. The claws on her fingers grew another inch longer and sturdier as a pair of horns pushed through her hair and swept back behind her ears, which had also grown longer. As the flaring of her aura died, she coughed, a puff of smoke escaping her mouth.

Ai was staring transfixed as the entire school gasped. Blood gushed in rivers from the noses of most of the boys as the nearly naked half dragon shook her head to clear it. Zhu Shu tried to stand, and stumbled. She didn't seem to notice as her wings fluttered and set her back upright, her stance none to steady. Her eyes locked on Ai, the anger in them nearly incandescent. "What do! What do to Zhu Shu!" She launched herself at the tall cheerleader, not realizing she was flying as she grabbed her and lifted her effortlessly thirty feet off the ground. "_WHAT DO TO ZHU SHU!_"

Ai stammered. "It– it was just Dragon Wine. It– it was supposed to make you a little drunk!" Ai gulped. "It's only alcoholic for dragons! It wasn't supposed to do this!"

"Zhu Shu! You're flying!" Akane yelled up at the transformed girl. "You grew wings!"

Zhu Shu blinked, and looked over her shoulder, to where her small wings were working overtime to keep her hovering. "Zhu Shu can fly?" She turned back to Ai, her eyes wide. "Zhu Shu can fly?"

Ai nodded. "Um? yeah?"

She screamed as Zhu Shu let her go, only to be grabbed a second later in an embrace. She looked into the dragon-girl's eyes fearfully.

The anger was gone, replaced by a different light. "_ZHU SHU CAN FLY!_"

And there, in mid air, in front of the entire school, she bussed Ai noisily on the lips with a loud "MMMMMMWAH!" before setting Ai back down on the ground. She smiled at the blonde cheerleader and offered "Zhu Shu can fly," by way of an explanation.

"YOU BITCH!" Ayeka screamed as Ai blinked in confusion. Zhu Shu turned to the raven haired girl.

"Zhu Shu can fly!" she said happily, trying to convey the immensity of that fact to the steaming Ayeka, but the jealous girl would have none of it.

"You have kissed my darling Ai! For this sin, I, Ayeka, can never forgive you!" The tall raven haired girl's eyes had gone an almost glowing red as she glared at the dragon-girl. Wielding her baton like a two handed sword she charged.

Zhu Shu dodged out of her way and fluttered over to where Akane and Shan Pu were watching the exchange with dropped jaws. "Zhu Shu can fly!" she said to them, hoping against hope she was conveying the importance of this to the stunned girls.

Akane nodded. "You can fly?" She blinked. "Watch out!"

"I'll kill you with one swing!" Ayeka screamed as her baton, glowing with the orange light of her angry ki slashed down through the air where Zhu Shu had been fluttering.

Zhu Shu had zipped behind her. She pursed her lips and let fly with a stream of fire, engulfing the enraged girl. "ZHU SHU CAN FLY!" Why couldn't anyone understand?

The soot covered girl, protected by her chi aura, coughed a small puff of black smoke. "Perhaps I have underestimated you. I will forever regret this." Then she gave a mad grin in which it almost looked like her teeth had become fangs. "But now the real action begins! Die!" She swung her glowing baton at Zhu Shu again in a swing that would have sliced her in half.

Zhu Shu had dodged behind her. "Zhu Shu can fly!" she tried explaining again.

"Don't think you can talk your way out of this one! I, Ayeka will not fall for your charms, you sneaky dragon-girl!" She swung repeatedly as Zhu Shu dodged. Backing up across the field she came to the goal post. Without thinking about it, she bent it backwards with one hand as Ayeka advanced, then let go to let the post slam into the cheerleader's face.

Akane cheered as Ayeka stumbled back several steps, dazed, but Kaede decided to lend a hand and threw an exploding pom-pom at Zhu Shu. Caught unawares, the dragon-girl was knocked to the ground by the explosion. Ayeka shook herself and recovered enough to start swinging again.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" she screamed as Zhu Shu dodged blow after blow, rolling on the ground, shedding the final scraps of her dress. With a last dodge, she leaped up to the cross bar of the goal post.

"You can't get away!" Ayeka yelled. "I won't let you escape!" She leaped after Zhu Shu, landing on the cross post. "I ATTACK!"

Zhu Shu dodged her downward slice, blinking as the baton sheared through the post. Ayeka blinked as the cross post creaked, then gave way under her. She crashed to the ground. Zhu Shu blinked down at the fallen girl.

"I, Ayeka, shall forever regret this!" The girl moaned. Zhu Shu fluttered down to see if she was okay.

"Why don't you just give up?" Akane yelled at the raven haired girl. Ayeka's head popped up.

"I, Ayeka, will never give up! MEGUMI!"

A pair of pom-poms connected by a wire wrapped around Zhu Shu, entangling her wings and arms and grounding her. The blonde haired cheerleader looked down from the goalpost and shrugged. "She's my teammate. Even if she _is_ currently insane."

Zhu Shu blinked sadly at the charging cheerleader. She'd failed to communicate the immensity of being able to fly to the girl, and now she wasn't going to be able to fly anymore.

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Ranma growled as he jumped forwards and kicked the baton out of Ayeka's hands. It lost its glow as it flew up, watched by the crowd. Ayeka stared dumbstruck at her empty hands.

Then the baton bounced off her skull and she looked at Zhu Shu in amazement.

"One more step… and I could have… avenged the squad… and earned a reward from Ai… and regained our popularity… I… Ayeka… shall… forever… regret… this…"

With the last words, Ayeka collapsed to the ground, out cold. Zhu Shu blinked at her, then looked at Ranma pleadingly. "Zhu Shu can fly?"

Ranma unwrapped the pom-pom bolo from around her. "Yes. Zhu Shu can fly. Maybe we should have you fly to Doctor Tofu's? You're acting _really_ strange."

Zhu Shu nodded. It seemed like a brilliant suggestion to the happy fog in her brain, and she told him so.

"Zhu Shu can FLY!"

_Authors Note: And so ends Book 2. Zhu Shu and her friend's adventures continue next in Book 3: The Black Dragon. What will the arrival of a spatula wielding chef mean for our heroes? And who is that strange figure in Chinese robes? The answers are waiting…_


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